This straightforward orzo pasta recipe requires only some contemporary components and comes collectively in below 20 minutes. You’ll love its contemporary flavors of tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and loads of garlic.
My household loves this fast and simple orzo pasta with tomatoes and parmesan, and I can’t wait so that you can attempt it. The recipe is much like how I make parmesan buttered noodles, however we add additional taste with contemporary garlic, tomatoes, and basil.
I really like cooking with orzo, a small, flat, oval-shaped pasta. It cooks rapidly, which is a bonus whenever you want dinner quick. For extra orzo pasta recipes, see my straightforward orzo pasta salad!
Key Elements
- Orzo pasta: I really like orzo for this recipe, however you should use any dried pasta. This recipe can also be scrumptious when made with couscous or rice!
- Olive oil: The bottom of our sauce. Use a good-quality olive oil that you just get pleasure from.
- Garlic: I take advantage of a lot of contemporary garlic for this recipe and like it.
- Tomatoes: It’s the tomatoes which are the star. Contemporary tomatoes are finest, however you may make this with canned tomatoes if wanted. When utilizing canned tomatoes, I like opening a can of entire tomatoes and tearing them into the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: This makes our pasta sauce creamy and scrumptious. For vegetarian orzo pasta, use vegetarian-friendly parmesan or substitute it together with your favourite vegetarian cheese.
- Basil: Contemporary basil is finest and works so properly with tomatoes and parmesan. I tear contemporary basil leaves into the sauce and serve with extra on high.
How one can Make My Favourite Orzo Pasta
Orzo is simple to prepare dinner (it’s similar to cooking different pasta). Convey an enormous pot of salted water to a boil, add the orzo, and prepare dinner till carried out, normally 8 to 10 minutes. For the reason that measurement of the pasta can differ from model to model, test the bundle to see the beneficial cooking time for the pasta you bought.
Whereas your pasta cooks, you’ll be able to put together the sauce. It’s straightforward. Begin with the olive oil and garlic. When the garlic is aromatic, stir within the tomatoes, basil, parmesan cheese, and cooked orzo. The tomatoes prepare dinner down and launch their juices, which combine with the cheese to create our scrumptious sauce.
Add a splash of pasta cooking water, and let every part prepare dinner away till the starch within the water begins to thicken the sauce made out of the tomatoes and olive oil. The entire course of takes lower than 5 minutes. Plus, that splash of cooking water helps flip our pan sauce right into a velvety sauce that coats the orzo.
What to Serve with Orzo Pasta
I’m completely satisfied to get pleasure from an enormous bowl of this orzo pasta all by itself. It’s additionally a wonderful base for protein or roasted greens. Hen is basic. Attempt grilled rooster or these baked rooster breasts with tomatoes, basil, and garlic. A light-weight fish or shrimp is gorgeous. I particularly love this roasted shrimp. Or add meatballs. Now we have a number of recipes on the weblog, however I flip essentially the most to those easy do-it-yourself meatballs.
Veggies are beautiful, too. Attempt roasted broccoli or roasted broccolini. I additionally love a aspect of sautéed greens, like this sautéed spinach or cabbage. And I really like a lightweight, contemporary salad. Toss your favourite greens right into a bowl and drizzle over this do-it-yourself balsamic dressing or honey mustard.
Straightforward Orzo Pasta Recipe
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We’re in love with this straightforward orzo pasta recipe. There’s fast cooking orzo, tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and plenty of garlic. Get this meal on the desk in lower than 20 minutes!
Makes 4 servings
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Want
8 ounces (226g) dry orzo pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
1/4 teaspoon crushed pink pepper flakes, or extra to style
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup (30g) grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1 cup (18g) basil leaves, torn into items
Salt and contemporary floor black pepper
Instructions
1Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo pasta and prepare dinner in line with the bundle instructions (normally 8 to 10 minutes). Earlier than draining the cooked orzo, reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water (you’ll use this to make the sauce).
2Add olive oil, garlic, and pink pepper flakes to a big, deep skillet and place over medium warmth.
3When the oil begins to bubble across the garlic, add the cooked orzo pasta, tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese.
4Add 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and prepare dinner, stirring typically, for one minute. Over the minute, the sauce ought to start to coat the pasta. If it appears dry, add a splash extra of the reserved pasta water and prepare dinner for a number of extra seconds.
5Style for seasoning and alter with a little bit of salt if wanted. Serve with additional basil, parmesan, and contemporary floor black pepper on high.
Adam and Joanne’s Ideas
- Contemporary tomatoes: Use about 12 ounces of tomatoes on this recipe, which is 2 medium or about 15 cherry tomatoes.
- Canned tomatoes: Use diced canned tomatoes or entire canned tomatoes which have been chopped or torn into smaller items (my choice).
- Gluten-free: In case you are gluten-free, you’ll be able to substitute together with your favourite gluten-free pasta, rice, or zucchini noodles. For our recommendations on making zucchini noodles, check out our zucchini noodles pasta.
- Vegetarian: Parmesan cheese might comprise animal rennet, so it’s essential to test labels earlier than use. Happily, a number of American manufacturers provide vegetarian Parmesan cheese options. It’s also possible to substitute together with your favourite vegetarian-friendly cheese.
- Leftovers: Retailer leftover orzo pasta in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- The diet details supplied beneath are estimates.
Vitamin Per Serving
Serving Measurement
1/4 of the recipe (about 1 1/2 cups)
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Energy
351 energy
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Protein
11.9 g
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Carbohydrate
46.5 g
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Dietary Fiber
4.2 g
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Whole Sugars
3.3 g
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Whole Fats
14.5 g
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Saturated Fats
3.3 g
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Ldl cholesterol
7 mg
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Sodium
465 mg
