Bring a deep pan of water to the boil, salt it generously, then add 150g of orzo and boil for 9 minutes or till the pasta is approaching tenderness. It ought to retain a sure chew. Drain the pasta and set it apart, working the tines of a fork by it to separate the grains.
Reduce 200g of guanciale into thick strips. Place a shallow pan over a average warmth, add the guanciale and let it cook dinner, stirring on occasion, till the fats has run and the guanciale is golden. Take away it from the pan and set it apart, leaving the fats in place within the pan.
Slice 250g of courgettes in half lengthways, then once more into quarters. Reduce every quarter into thick chunks. Return the pan to the warmth, add the courgettes and cook dinner them till they’re smooth, translucent and simply beginning to flip golden.
Thinly slice 3 spring onions, discarding the thick, dark-green suggestions as you go, and add them to the courgettes. Return the guanciale to the pan, add the pasta.
Whereas that is persevering with to warmth by, roughly chop a great handful of parsley and stir it in. Serves 2
As a substitute of the guanciale, use a fatty bacon or pancetta. The courgettes are cooked within the fats from the meat, so go for one thing with a beneficiant marbling of fats. If essential, you could possibly add a little bit olive oil.
Hold the warmth at not more than a average stage, in order that the fats melts out of the bacon. In case your warmth is just too excessive, it can burn.
If you want so as to add some grated parmesan or grana padano, do it after including the parsley, stirring for a minute or so, permitting the cheese to soften barely, bringing the entire dish collectively.
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