Bacon Orzo Pasta with Swiss Chard and White Beans

Bacon orzo pasta is an easy side or main course that is full of greens, hearty beans and herby flavor. Humble, simple ingredients are elevated with easy techniques– toasting the orzo, boiling in broth, aromatics sautéed in bacon fat, herb oil– all together make for an incredibly delicious, rustic main course.

“Rustic” food, to me, means unpretentious, practical and comforting. It has a natural, unforced beauty about it. I would put this bacon orzo pasta in the “rustic food” category.

It has been raining here in Wisconsin for 5 days straight. Our basement has water in it and the house feels damp and cold. (Fun stuff, I know!) We were needing something warm and comforting and this bacon orzo pasta was exactly that! The jalapeno and red chili flake literally warmed me up. If you are sensitive, tone down the red chili flakes to just a pinch.

This recipe falls somewhere in that gray area of kind of pasta, little bit stew, maybe even soup. It’s reminiscent of Tuscan white bean soup, Ribollita, but still very different. How is that for a description?

How to make orzo, but better.

Orzo is a type of pasta that resembles rice but is made of semolina flour. To take hold of its full potential, start by melting butter in a pan. Toast the orzo until it’s golden. Instead of using water for the boiling medium, use rich and savory chicken broth. Instead of an uncovered, hard boil, I prefer to add just the right amount of liquid for the orzo to absorb and leave the pot covered. For this recipe, 1.5 cups liquid to 1 cup orzo is perfect.

What does bacon add?

Flavor. Fat. Salt. Savoriness. Bacon has it all. For this recipe I used pasture/ woodland raised pork from All Grass Farms. While the orzo is boiling, the bacon starts cooking in another pot. For even cooking, cut up the bacon into small bits. When the bacon is about 1/2 way cooked, add the onion and jalapeno. Bacon has the added bonus of bacon fat; my preferred oil to cook up aromatics for maximum flavor. Each step of this recipe builds off from the flavor a step prior.

Flavor enhancers.

Salt. I use Redmonds Real Salt Ancient Sea Salt. The Worschestershire sauce and parmesan are salty so don’t overdo the salt. 1/2 tsp should be sufficient.

Garlic. 6 cloves may sound like a lot but it mellows out in the cooking process.

Worcestershire sauce. Salty, savory, umami flavor. Coconut aminos is a sufficient substitute.

Smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, Calabrian chili (Sub: red chili flakes). Adds heat, balanced earthy and herby flavor.

How to make herb oil.

We aren’t done with the orzo. Rosemary and sage infused olive oil douses the cooked noodles right after the orzo has absorbed most of its cooking liquid.

Prepare the herb oil in a small saucepan.

Heat up the olive oil but be careful it doesn’t burn. Smoke means it’s too hot.

Add sage leaves and a sprig of rosemary. They should sizzle on contact and be fried in 2-3 minutes.

Remove the herbs from the oil and set aside on a paper towel lined dish to dry and further crisp up.

In a few minutes, remove the leaves from the rosemary stem and chop the rosemary and sage up. Discard the rosemary stem.

Add the herbs back to the oil and then pour over the warm orzo so it absorbs the flavor.

How to make Swiss chard taste good.

The orzo is then added to the pot that holds the bacon. More broth, Swiss chard, beans, cheese all join the pot and simmer away for around 10 minutes with the lid on. Here are a few tips:

Warm the broth before adding. Cold broth will slow down the cooking process.

Chiffonade the Swiss chard. Remove the ribs and roll the Swiss chard like a burrito and cut thin strips, like ribbons. It may look like a lot of greens, but it cooks down significantly. Raw Swiss chard can be rough and bitter. However, cooking Swiss chard in broth with bacon, aromatics, garlic and spices is a sure-fire way to enjoy them.

Serving.

I highly recommend serving with crusty bread. Sourdough is an excellent choice. Grilling then cutting the bread into cubes makes for a tasty topping. A sprinkle more of parmesan is a great way to finish off the dish.

Love bacon? Try out my pumpkin cashew cream rigatoni with bacon sage crumb!