Preparation Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season liberally with salt. Cook pasta until al dente, 6-7 minutes. While orzo is cooking, make pesto.
- Make the pesto: heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts. Shaking the pan often, toast the nuts until they are golden brown and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool. Reserve ½ cup pine nuts for the salad. Place the oil in the blender, followed by the basil, 1 cup toasted pine nuts, garlic and salt. Select Manual/Lo and blend, gradually increasing speed to 4 until the mixture is a chunky paste. Scrape down the sides of the blender jar as needed. If the outside of the blender jar starts to get warm, add 1 tablespoon ice water at a time to the pesto mixture to keep it cool and help it blend. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter.
- Make the salad: in a large bowl, combine the orzo, pesto, reserved pine nuts and lemon juice. Add the cherry tomatoes, peppers and mozzarella. Stir gently to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate, covered, until cold.
