Autumn Harvest Orzo with Gorgonzola and Broccoli Sauce

And with this another weekend comes to a close. There has been so much talk of graduation and packing lately (really, that's all my parents can think about) that I keep being reminded that in less than a month I will have (a) run a half marathon, (b) been on a cruise to the Bahamas, and (c) be 24 hours away from being an MIT graduate. It's just ridiculous how quickly time has passed, it feels like yesterday that my parents left me here, in this strange city, alone for the first time. And now it's gotten to the point that I just don't want to leave. Not that I'm not excited about being with my new classmates, who I LOVED, but I just can't imagine life without my roommate who I have spend the past 4 years with, every day, almost 24 hours a day. It's going to be weird having her be across the country (she's moving to the Bay Area) and to not be able to talk to her whenever I want or know that she'll be waiting for me at home after a long, trying day of classes. So in many ways, graduation will be one of the happiest days of my life. But in a lot of others, it will also be one of the saddest.

Anyways, I know misery is not becoming on anyone, so I will move on. Gotta appreciate the month we have left! And appreciate we did at senior ball. Here are some pictures of us taken at the Boston Public Gardens.

My roommate and I:

And my closest group of friends. From left to right: Dan, his date Ari, me, Tiffany, Jen, and Peter:

The only one missing was my second best friend after Tiffany, my friend Tim, who couldn't make it because of his crew race. It certainly wasn't the same without him there. Luckily, though, Tim and Dan will be staying in Boston next year and I've already made them aware of the fact that I will be crashing on their couches at least once a month so I can come and get my monthly fix of JP Licks ice cream. And also to enjoy some river loop running.

Another sad bit of news is that after this recipe, I only have ONE MORE Pappardelle's Pasta left! What that means is that I HAVE to order more. However, I am not going to do that until after I move into my apartment in the city on July 2. Not that I don't love my family, but I don't think they would really appreciate the often esoteric flavors of the pasta and I just couldn't bear to waste it on them. Plus I'm kind of greedy. I want all four servings to myself!

So this pasta we see here is the Autumn Harvest Orzo, made with a pumpkin/sage blend. In deciding what to make with this, gorgonzola immediately came to mind since it is so often paired with winter squash. I spied some fresh broccoli at the MIT produce stand last week, and thus a dish was born. The autumn harvest orzo has a sweet/spicy taste to it. I was quite pleased.

Autumn Harvest Orzo with Gorgonzola and Broccoli

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

3 large shallots

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup almond milk (or any milk)

4 oz gorgonzola

2 tbsp pine nuts

1 lb-ish broccoli florets

1 lb autumn harvest orzo

1. Toast the pine nuts on the stove.

2. Start to boil the water for the orzo and put the pasta in once it is sufficiently boiled.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the shallots and cook for4-5 minutes or until slightly brown. Add the wine and broth and boil until reduced by half.

4. In a separate pan, steam the broccoli to desired degree of doneness.

5. Stir the cream and milk into the wine/chicken/shallot mixture and simmer for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the Gorgonzola until it has melted. Add in the pine nuts and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the orzo, mix, and serve!

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Tigerfish of Teczcape.