Straightforward Orzo Recipe

December 16, 2025

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This simple orzo recipe is shiny, buttery, and completely tender. A easy aspect dish that comes collectively quick and pairs properly with hen, fish, or veggies.

Once I’m speeding to make dinner and wracking my mind to determine a fast aspect dish, I’ve educated myself to assume: orzo! This tiny pasta has develop into my secret weapon.

Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta that cooks extremely quick. Inside 10 minutes, this orzo recipe tastes comforting and nostalgic, pairing the tender grains with butter and a touch of lemon. It’s so tasty, and it pairs with every little thing from hen to shrimp to vegetarian mains. It’s one for the common rotation!

Why You’ll Love This Orzo Recipe

Prepared in 10 minutes: That is actually one of many quickest aspect dishes I do know (together with couscous)
Scrumptious with easy substances: Orzo pasta, butter or olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and optionally available parmesan cheese is all you want
Extremely versatile: Works as a easy aspect dish or as a base for add-ins like spinach, cherry tomatoes, or feta

The right way to Cook dinner Orzo

There are two strategies for cooking orzo: the pasta methodology (cooking in a big pot of boiling water and draining) and the rice methodology (simmering with much less water till it’s all absorbed). I’ve discovered the easiest way to keep away from sticky orzo is the pasta methodology: it makes deliciously tender, well-separated grains. The rice methodology comes out creamier, however you run the chance of it popping out sticky or waterlogged. Right here’s cook dinner orzo:

Deliver a pot of water to a boil. Estimate about 8 cups water per 1 cup orzo.
Add the orzo, deliver again to a boil, and cook dinner for 8 minutes. Style a grain. If it’s principally tender with a small quantity of “chew” within the center, it’s performed. If not, cook dinner 1 to 2 extra minutes: simply take care to not overcook it.
Drain and season. Drain the water from the pot, then return the orzo again to the pot. Season with salt, butter and lemon juice. Prompt aspect dish!

Taste Variations & Add-Ins

This straightforward orzo recipe with butter, salt and a squeeze of lemon is so easy but satisfying! The buttery taste jogs my memory of a elaborate boxed max and cheese (with out the cheese!). There are a great deal of methods to step up this easy dish:

Creamy orzo: For a richer model, stir in ¼ cup heavy cream or 2-3 tablespoons of mascarpone together with the butter. You can too use cream cheese for a tangier taste.
Chopped herbs: A little bit of chopped parsley appears beautiful, or add chopped thyme, dill, or chives.
Parmesan or feta cheese: Swirl in a little bit of grated Parmesan or feta to take it to new heights.
Garlic: Sauté a minced garlic clove in a little bit of butter or olive oil, then combine it into the cooked orzo with the salt.
Spinach: Sauté child spinach (with or with out garlic), then add the cooked orzo and salt.
Protein adders: You possibly can add cooked chickpeas, white beans, grilled hen or air fryer hen to show this into a lightweight principal dish. For a heartier choice, serve it topped with meatballs and marinara sauce.
Veggies: Make it into an orzo salad by including veggies.

What to Serve With It

This lemon orzo pairs fantastically with so many various mains.

For seafood, I like it with sauteed shrimp, parmesan crusted salmon, or pesto shrimp. It’s additionally good as a mattress beneath grilled salmon, seared tuna steak, or salmon patties.
For poultry, orzo works properly with grilled hen, baked hen thighs, and even rotisserie hen from the shop. You can too use it in a Mediterranean bowl with air fryer hen, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a drizzle of French dressing.
For vegetarian meals, serve this orzo with protein like canned chickpeas alongside roasted greens, grilled portobello mushrooms, or a easy inexperienced salad. You can too add sautéed veggies on to the orzo and topping it with a poached egg.

Storage & Reheating

Leftover lemon orzo shops refrigerated for as much as 5 days. The orzo will agency up because it cools. To reheat, add it to a saucepan with a add a splash of broth, water or lemon juice, which prevents it from drying out. Reheat over medium warmth for about 2 to three minutes.

The lemon taste might mellow within the fridge over time, so including lemon juice helps to revive the flavors; it’s also possible to add a little bit of Parmesan cheese.

Dietary Notes

This orzo recipe is vegetarian. For vegan, use olive oil or plant-based butter.

Often Requested Questions

Is orzo pasta or rice?

Orzo is pasta, not rice: it’s made out of wheat flour identical to different pasta shapes. The title “orzo” means “barley” in Italian, and it’s additionally known as risoni (which implies “large rice”) due to its rice-like look.

How do you stop orzo from sticking collectively when cooking?

The important thing to stopping sticky orzo is utilizing loads of water and stirring instantly after including it to the pot. I additionally stir just a few instances throughout cooking. Utilizing the pasta methodology (boiling and draining) reasonably than the absorption methodology helps preserve separate, fluffy grains.

How can I make a creamy orzo dish (with or with out cream)?

For creamy orzo with cream, stir in ¼ cup heavy cream, half-and-half, or mascarpone after draining the pasta. You can too make it creamy with out cream through the use of the risotto methodology: toast the orzo in butter, then add hen broth or vegetable broth regularly whereas stirring continuously, just like making risotto.

Can I make an orzo recipe gluten-free?

Since conventional orzo is wheat-based pasta, it accommodates gluten. Nevertheless, a number of manufacturers now make gluten-free orzo: search for it within the gluten-free pasta part.

How lengthy does it take to cook dinner orzo completely?

Orzo often takes 8-10 minutes to cook dinner to al dente perfection when boiled in loads of salted water. I all the time taste-test on the 8-minute mark. The precise cook dinner time can differ by model, so verify the bundle directions as a place to begin.

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Straightforward Orzo Recipe

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Right here’s cook dinner orzo as a easy aspect dish! This rice-shaped pasta comes collectively in minutes, flavored merely with butter and lemon.

Writer: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook dinner Time: 8 minutes
Complete Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 ½ cup servings
Class: Aspect dish
Methodology: Boiled
Delicacies: Mediterranean
Weight-reduction plan: Vegan

Components

1 cup orzo
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
2 tablespoons recent lemon juice (½ lemon)
Chopped recent parsley or feta cheese crumbles, for garnish (optionally available)

Cook dinner Mode

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Directions

Fill a medium pot with 8 cups water and convey it to a boil. As soon as boiling, add the orzo and stir.
Deliver the pot again to a boil, then boil for about 8 minutes till the orzo is tender. (Style check a grain to evaluate doneness.) Drain right into a strainer, then return the orzo to the pot.
Stir within the kosher salt, butter (or olive oil), and lemon juice. Style and if desired, add extra lemon to style. Add optionally available chopped parsley or feta cheese to garnish. Serve instantly; leftovers retailer refrigerated for as much as 5 days.

Notes

Toasting choice: For a nuttier taste, toast the dry orzo in 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil over medium warmth for 1 to 2 minutes earlier than including the cooking liquid.

Broth substitution: For extra taste, cook dinner the orzo in hen broth or vegetable broth as an alternative of water.

Creamier model: Add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream, mascarpone, or cream cheese together with the butter.

Lemon adjustment: Begin with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add extra to style. The lemon taste will mellow after refrigeration, so it’s possible you’ll need to add a recent squeeze when reheating.

Storage tip: The orzo corporations up when cool. When reheating, add a splash of broth or water to revive moisture and creaminess.

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Straightforward Orzo Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Orzo Recipe

The right way to Cook dinner Orzo

Taste Variations & Add-Ins

What to Serve With It

Storage & Reheating

Dietary Notes

Often Requested Questions

Straightforward Orzo Recipe

Components

Directions

Notes

Extra Orzo Recipes to Attempt

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