Pearl barley risotto

Name: Pearl barley risotto | Asda Good Living
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 large Onion, finely chopped; 4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped; 250g Pearl Barley, rinsed; 900ml Vegetable Stock; 1 large Courgette, diced; 200g Runner Beans, trimmed and sliced; 400g Frozen Peas, defrosted (use 100g in the pesto); 4 tbsp Mascarpone; 1 large Garlic clove, peeled, for the pesto; 50g Walnuts, for the pesto; 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for the pesto; 25g pack fresh Basil, for the Pesto, plus extra to garnish; 50g Just Essentials by Asda Hard Cheese, grated, for the pesto; 1 large Lemon, zest and juice, for the pesto

Full of yummy green stuff, this dish uses barley in place of white rice for fibre – a fabulous sub, so give it a go.

By Asda Good Living,22nd August 2023

Cook: 35 Mins

Serves: 4

Price: £1.44 per serving

Nutritional Information

Each 447g serving contains

Energy
13459kj
720kcal

36%

Fat
35.3g

High
50%

Saturates
10.3g

High
52%

Sugars
12.5g

Low
14%

Salt
1.03g

Low
17%

of your 5-a-day

of your reference intake.
Typical energy values per 100g:
3011kj/720kcal

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 large Onion, finely chopped

4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

250g Pearl Barley, rinsed

900ml Vegetable Stock

1 large Courgette, diced

200g Runner Beans, trimmed and sliced

400g Frozen Peas, defrosted (use 100g in the pesto)

4 tbsp Mascarpone

1 large Garlic clove, peeled, for the pesto

50g Walnuts, for the pesto

4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for the pesto

25g pack fresh Basil, for the Pesto, plus extra to garnish

50g Just Essentials by Asda Hard Cheese, grated, for the pesto

1 large Lemon, zest and juice, for the pesto

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic for 2–3 minsto soften. Add the pearl barley and stock, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 25–30 mins until tender and the stock has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, steam the courgettes, runner beans and 300g of the peas for 5 mins over a pan of simmering water.

To make the pesto, blitz the remaining 100g peas, garlic, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil and most of the basil in a food processor or with a hand-held stick blender to make a coarse paste. Then stir in the cheese and ½ the lemon zest and juice. You may need to add a little oil to loosen. Set aside.

Stir the mascarpone and ? of pesto through the cooked pearl barley and add the green veg. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little salt, pepper or extra lemon juice, if needed. Divide between bowls and top with another ? of pesto, lemon zest and a few fresh basil leaves to finish.

Cook’s tip: This dish is perfect for vegetarians as peas and nuts are a good veggie protein. No time to make the pesto? Sprinkle the risotto with a nut or seed mix and stir through the cheese and basil before serving.