How To Cook Orzo
How To Cook Orzo
Orzo is a versatile rice-shaped pasta that is easy to prepare and makes a great addition to any meal! I’m sharing a simple recipe on How to Cook Orzo, as well as some serving ideas for this delicious side dish.
Let’s talk Orzo. Is it a grain? Is it pasta? What exactly is it? Well, Orzo is a rice shaped pasta! This delicious and easy to prepare pasta is great in so many recipes. In fact, I like to have orzo in my pantry at all times. Orzo is a great alternative to the usual rice or quinoa as a side dish, but I also like to substitute it into any pasta dish. And my kids love it too…it’s always guaranteed to disappear at dinner time.
Orzo is really easy to prepare. You can boil it like you would regular pasta and drain off the water, but I prefer to prepare it in a skillet. When orzo is made in a skillet, you have the opportunity to add a rich toasty flavour to it by first toasting the orzo in melted butter. In the picture below, you can see lightly toasted pieces of orzo which make this pasta extra tasty!
Once the orzo is lightly golden, you add water or stock (using the same ratio as rice: 1 cup orzo, 2 cups liquid), and let it simmer until all the broth is gone. I like to use vegetable stock when making orzo, because it adds extra rich flavour.
How To Cook Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup Orzo pasta
- 2 cups water or broth
- 2 tsp butter
Instructions
- In a skillet over low-medium heat, melt the butter.
- Then add the uncooked Orzo, and mix well to coat the pasta in the butter. Stir continuously until the pasta is lightly golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- Whisk in the water or broth, and bring to a low boil.
- Then reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Delicious Ways to Serve Orzo Pasta:
The great thing about orzo is that you can pretty much substitute it into any recipe that has pasta as an ingredient…things like side dishes, soups, pasta salads and more. I’m sharing some ideas below:
- Substitute Orzo for your favourite pasta in almost any dish.
- It’s great in pasta salads.
- Serve it plain as a simple side dish. My kids love it with a little butter and parmesan cheese.
- Toss it with parmesan cheese and minced fresh basil for a side dish.
- Add it to soups.
Have a delicious day!
I have never made orzo. Search pulled up your site first and glad that it did. Orzo came out perfect to go along with chicken thighs in sauce using the crockpot. Thank you so much!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
How do you think Orzo would stand up in cabbage rolls?
Hi! I’m not sure…because orzo is a pasta, I would be concerned it would turn to mush.
I sauté onions until they caramelize then add that to the Orzo with some canned mushrooms. I use consume for the both (do not dilute) and bake it
I’d never made or eaten orzo pasta before but bought a box of it on a lark, then realized I didn’t have a clue what to do with it and ended up here. So glad I did…this process of ‘butter toasting’ it is so insanely good and easy/fun to make, we can’t get enough orzo now and can’t wait to try a million different variations. Love it! 🙂
Wow! What a creative way to cook orzo. It came out extra flavorful. Glad I tried this recipe!
Love it!
So buttery and yummy.
I used 2 bags of concentrated chicken broth mixed in 500 ml of boiling water.
Hi
I made this today. Valerie Bertenelli made orzo and added in chicken thighs, caramelized onions and poppedbin the oven for 20 minutes. The idea of sauteeing the orzo in butter first gives the pasta a wonderful nutty flavour.
awesome! used water + better than bollion- so so good.
This is so much better than following the directions on the box (boil in water, drain). Thank you!
I’m not used to cooking orzo so I found this recipe and followed it entirely – it came out absolutely perfect and delicious! Already saved it to my pinterest favs.
Very tasty. I eat orzo with grilled vegie and a spicy tomatosauce.