There are certain dishes that are restaurant quality dinners that just aren’t that hard to make at home. This creamy orzo is kind of a poor man’s version of risotto but only takes 20 minutes to make instead of 45 minutes, or whatever.
This does not mean that it is exactly risotto because orzo is not rice. But, the resulting pan dish is very flexible and is so wonderfully creamy and rich. I added some asparagus to this version but you can see that you can add a huge variety of vegetables and proteins to it.
Let’s dive in and make this delicious orzo recipe!
What is Orzo?
People get very confused about orzo. It looks like a big rice so sometimes people (even my wife) confuse it with rice or grain, but it’s straight pasta. This means orzo is not gluten free so be careful there!
However, I love orzo because it cooks really quickly and also has a lot of surface area, so you can use the starch in the orzo to make a really tasty sauce (like this creamy sauce) without too much thought.
Orzo is in the pasta section of your grocery store, not the cereal section!
Ingredients for orzo creams
Let’s dive into some ingredients you’ll need for this very quick pasta meal.
- Butter – I like to use butter as the fat for the recipe but you could just as easily use olive oil.
- Aromatics – onion and garlic are key to this recipe to build some flavor. Don’t skip them.
- Italian Seasoning – I like to add this to the pan for added flavor.
- Orzo – of course! This stuff goes up in size so 8 oz is a good amount.
- Liquids – chicken stock and half and half are the base I used.
- Parmesan cheese – this adds a bit of salty flavor and helps the sauce thicken.
- Vegetables – I added asparagus, which worked great, but read the substitutions for other ideas.
How do you make the sauce for this orzo?
This sauce develops while the orzo pasta cooks. Add the chicken stock to the pan after lightly frying the orzo in butter and then bring it to a gentle boil. Cover and as the orzo cooks, the sauce will thicken.
Adding half and half when the orzo finishes cooking will make the sauce even creamier!
Once the orzo is cooked, if the sauce seems too thin, just remove the lid and stir for a minute or two over low heat and the sauce will thicken very quickly. If the sauce seems too thick and too dark, thin it with a little water or chicken stock.
How to cook the asparagus
This is a quick way to cook the vegetables in this recipe. When the orzo is about ready, add the asparagus straight to the pan. They will steam while the orzo has finished cooking.
If you add the asparagus to the pan at first it will overcook so be careful there!
So many substitutions for this creamy orzo!
Let’s dive into the substitutions for this recipe!
- If you wanted to make it vegetarian, just use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Change the vegetables. Mushrooms (pre-sautéed), spinach, or fresh peas.
- Add some protein to the rice by topping it with roast chicken or roast pork chops.
- Decorate the dish with different twists from lemon zest to red pepper flakes.
What to serve with this orzo recipe
It’s quite a hearty dish and can be the star of dinner on its own with a side salad. Maybe this strawberry salad or this roasted beet salad.
But, it can also be a great side dish (especially reheated) and you can serve it alongside big proteins like steak or even a whole grilled fish.
Reheat this orzo dish
Reheating this creamy orzo pasta is easy enough. Add about 1/2 cup of water to a large pan and after it is cooked, add the rest of the creamy orzo. Stir it while it heats up. The boiling water will bring the sauce back to life quickly and the orzo will be perfectly cooked!
My creamy orzo recipe with asparagus
Orzo quick cream
This quick creamy orzo dish is so versatile. It can be served as a main dish or as a side dish. It’s perfect for midweek family dinners or fancy enough for entertaining!
- 3 spoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic ground
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 courage. Orzo pasta
- 2 cups Chicken stock
- 1 Goblet half and half
- ½ Goblet Grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 courage asparagus chopped
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In a large pan or medium pot, add butter over medium heat. After melting, add minced garlic and onion and fry until they soften. Season with a little salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.
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After the vegetables have softened (4-5 minutes), add rice and cook in butter for a minute. Then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for six minutes.
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Then add half and half and pieces of apricots. Cook another 6-7 minutes with a lid. If really runny, remove the lid for the last 2 minutes. Add cheese. Mix together and it should be creamy and smooth. Serve immediately while still warm in a bowl or as a side dish.
dose: 1bowlCalories: 483KKLCarbohydrates: 55Gprotein: 18GFat: 21GSaturated fat: 12GPolyunsaturated fat: 1GUnsaturated fat: 6Gtrans fat: 0.3GCholesterol: 58mgsodium: 791mgpotassium: 509mgfiber: 4GSugar: 8Gvitamin: 1027IUVitamin C: 6mgcalcium: 223mgiron: 3mg
did you do that?
Take a picture and tag @macheesmo So I can see your work.
