Sunchoke Asparagus Orzo bake  
- a creamy yet light and satisfying pasta with crispy sunchokes and asparagus with a lingering taste of truffle oil 
​​by priti malhotra

Serves 2-3

1-2 sunchokes thinly sliced
10-12 thin asparagus stems roughly chopped into fourths
1 large shallot thinly sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup dried orzo
2-3 sundried tomatoes roughly chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon truffle oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
1 tbsp finely chopped chives and dill
1/4 cup coconut creamer (I used one from Trader Joe’s)
1/3 cup Violife parmesan cheese (or any other plant based hard cheese you like)


Set a colander with water on the stove and bring to a boil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Fold in the sliced sunchokes and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring them from time to time. Toss in the asparagus pieces and cook for another couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then turn off the heat.

Once the water is boiling, bring the heat down to medium, season with a teaspoon of salt, and gently add in the orzo. Orzo cooks very quickly, and should be done in 5-7 minutes. Drain the orzo and add it to the vegetables in the skillet. Toss well, and season again with a little bit of salt and pepper. Add in the coconut cream and the sundried tomato pieces. Toss gently.

Put the skillet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes. Broil for one minute, slightly charring some of the vegetables. Take it out of the oven. Let it sit for a minute, then sprinkle with the Volife Parmesan, finely chopped herbs, crushed pepper flakes, and finish with a tablespoon of truffle oil. Serve warm.