20-Minute Orzo with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Sauce

This healthy orzo with creamy sun-dried tomato basil sauce can be made in just 20 minutes.

Sheesh. Pardon my absence of late.

Will you pretty please take this big, steaming bowl of pasta in the best sauce ever as my apology?

I hate to use the cliche phrase "I've been busy," but I have! I know most of you are probably just as busy and can totally relate. The holidays are always the busiest time of the year for us. Yes, being busy can be a good thing, but it kind of sucks too. It's hard to find time to enjoy the season – which, if I ignore the cold weather, is secretly my favorite time of the year.

In between decorating, family gatherings, work, the blog, and taking shifts staying with my 98-year-old great-grandmother, there isn't much time for the in-between stuff. Important stuff like alone time with the mister, writing in my journal, meeting friends for coffee, and actually sitting down to enjoy a meal unfortunately fall to the wayside.

That's why dishes like this one are so important right now.

In less than 25 minutes, Clark and I were sitting down to a quiet, phone-less, TV-less meal together. We stopped talking about the hustle and bustle of work and life and discussed simpler things like, "HOW IS THIS SO GOOD RIGHT NOW? These sun dried tomatoes, though… OMG." and "Let's drink wine and watch Chopped on Netflix later." After all of the orzo was eaten and the sauce was licked from the pot, I decided that you guys probably needed this recipe in your life as much as I did.

I wish it was appropriate to drink this sauce. If it was, though, I don't think it would ever make it into the pasta and that would be sad because this orzo [along with the sauce, obv.] is what this dish is all about.

Every piece of the al dente pasta gets a healthy coating of creamy and decadent sun dried tomato sauce and flecks of chopped basil add subtle freshness throughout. It's the kind of rich, comforting meal that keeps you satisfied for hours and making it again and again.

20-Minute Orzo in Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Sauce

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• Author: Jordan Cord
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2 1x

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Ingredients

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• 10 sundried tomatoes, canned or dried and rehydrated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• ½ can of coconut milk
• 2 cups cooked orzo pasta
• water for cooking orzo
• ½ cup fresh basil

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Instructions

1. If using dried tomatoes, add 1 cup of water and tomatoes to a sauce pan and boil for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and then chop into smaller chunks.
2. In a cast iron skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil on medium and add minced garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes until browning.
3. Add sundried tomatoes and sauté for 3 more minutes.
4. Decrease the heat to low-medium and add 2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar and continue sautéing for 2 minutes.
5. Start cooking orzo.
6. Add coconut milk, sea salt, and black pepper and stir to combine well. Decrease the heat to simmer and continue stirring. Simmer for 5-8 minutes.
7. Add the sauce to a blender, set the skillet aside, and blend the sauce for 10-15 seconds until just combined – no need to over process.
8. Add cooked orzo to the skillet and toss to coat in the flavors and oil. Add the sauce back into the skillet and stir to combine.
9. Add fresh basil and stir in, then serve!

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Nutrition

• Calories: 353
• Sugar: .9g
• Sodium: 8.8mg
• Fat: 22.4g
• Saturated Fat: 9.7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12.7g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 1.8g
• Protein: 6.5g
• Cholesterol: 0g