This is a dish that goes together quickly and looks beautiful! Risoni, prawns and fresh asparagus tossed with a light olive oil, lemon and basil dressing. Perfect for a warm weather picnic or with a BBQ.
Fantastic! I made a few twists because I didnt have orzo on hand, white balsamic or fresh basil so I used Orchette, regular balsamic and some dried basil. This was a HIT with my guests for dinner, super easy to prepare, gorgeous presentation and doesnt matter what temperature its served at, so its ideal for a get together. I did not cut up the shrimp or even go through the process of shelling and flavoring the pasta with the shrimp. I did, however, cook the asparagus in the same water as the pasta. For the commenter below who said their asparagus turned brown, they need to remove it from the water when its cooked and immediately put it into cold water to stop the cooking process, it wont brown if it gets shocked immediately. For depth I added some sliced grape tomatoes and some sliced black olives, and now that I've tried it both warm and cold... the flavors really come out after its been chilled overnight! When I do it again I might consider adding some small cubes of cheese, but depends what I have on hand. Try this, you won't be disappointed! - 26 Jul 2008 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)
Fantastic dish! I used whole 90-110 count shrimp, rather than cutting up the larger, more expensive extra large size. The dressing is light, yet flavorful. It received rave reviews at our Father's Day cookout. I'll definitely be making this again. - 18 Jun 2007 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)
What a great recipe! I actually tripled it for a family reunion and people just raved about it. I forgot to save the shrimp shells so I just added some Old Bay to the water that I cooked the orzo in. Seemed to work just fine. This is a keeper...will make it again! Tastes excellent leftover too! - 26 Jun 2007 (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)