Tarted-Up Homey Dinner for 6

One of the reasons I love this menu is for its central side dish, if this is not a contradiction in terms. The pea orzotto is a kind of barley risotto or stew, only this is better, sharper, smarter. Because pearl barley has less gluten than rice it doesn’t get sticky if it stands around after it’s been cooked. It’s true that the actual stirring and whole process of the absorption of the stock to make a risotto takes longer with pearl barley than with rice, but an extra 15 minutes’ effort in advance is nothing compared to the hell of having to get everything ready from scratch at the last minute.