A simple no-fail side dish recipe with orzo pasta cooked in a parmesan cream sauce that comes together in minutes and cooks perfectly every time.
JUMP TO RECIPEAnyone who’s been on the blog much knows how much I LOVE rice. You may also know my Canadian husband does not share my passion for it and gets a little disgruntled that I cook it so much more than other starchy sides like potatoes and pasta.
I had some spicy Italian sausage to throw on the grill for supper the other day and wasn’t sure what else I was going to serve with it when I remembered I had a box of orzo.
I’d made one of my favorite Mediterranean recipes to share with y’all next week – Spicy Orzo with Chickpeas – and decided to whip up some cheesy orzo which would make everybody happy because it’s PASTA that eats a lot like RICE.
Holla!
I’d seen Rachel Ray make something like this when she had that 30-Minute Meals show and I used to make it a lot when I was single 100 years ago.
Then I kinda forgot about it. 100 years is a long time.
Since it’s definitely got an Italian vibe with the parmesan and garlic AND because it’s one of the quickest, easiest homemade side dish recipes on earth, I knew it would be perfect with the simple grilled Italian sausage.
I whipped up this batch while I was sautéing some onions and peppers to go with the sausages and couldn’t believe I’d never made this for my family.
I mean, it’s SO EASY and it’s 100% HOMEMADE and everybody loves it because it’s SO GOOD.
I can’t count how many times I’ve reached for one of those instant pasta side dish packets with the powdered whatever in the bottom on a busy weeknight and the whole time I could have been making this. UGH.
NOTES ABOUT MAKING THIS RECIPE FOR EASY CHEESY PARMESAN ORZO
- Sautéing the orzo and garlic in butter for a few minutes before cooking really amps of the flavor of the pasta, giving it a toasted, almost nutty flavor and mellows out the garlic.
- Feel free to use vegetable or beef broth instead of chicken.
- Broth is best but if you’re in a pinch, you can use water with these changes: use half water and half milk (1.5 cups of each), definitely taste for salt as you’ll need more than if using broth.
- DO NOT add the parmesan until you’re ready to serve as it will cause the creamy sauce to thicken a lot after it starts to cool.
- If a lot of steam escapes while the orzo is cooking, you may need to add more liquid (broth, milk or even water is fine). We want the orzo to be a little saucy and creamy, not dry or fluffy like rice.
OTHER QUICK & EASY SIDE DISH RECIPES
Walk-Away Noodles - Throw everything in the pot and walk away for perfectly cooked, savory, saucy hot buttered noodles that are the perfect side dish recipe for any meal!
Garlic Butter & Mushroom Rice - Fresh mushrooms sautéed with garlic and butter cooked with rice on the stovetop in a savory, beefy stock for a quick and easy rice pilaf side dish.
Polish Noodles with Sour Cream & Onions - A simple homemade side dish recipe with egg noodles, sauteed onions and a simple sour cream sauce very much like Beef Stroganoff or Noodles Romanoff.
Classic Rice Almondine - A timeless side dish recipe with crunchy toasted almonds stirred into tender, savory rice made with buttery sauteed onions and garlic.
Recipe for Easy Cheesy Parmesan Orzo
Easy Cheesy Parmesan Orzo
A simple no-fail side dish recipe with orzo pasta cooked in a parmesan cream sauce that comes together in minutes and cooks perfectly every time.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a 2-quart shallow saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo then gently stir and cook for 3 minutes or until a few pieces of orzo start to darken to a toasted color.
- Add garlic then continue cooking and gently stirring for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and milk, season with salt and pepper to taste then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until orzo is al dente. Stir frequently to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Remove orzo from heat. When ready to serve, stir in parmesan cheese. Do not add parmesan until ready to serve.
Notes
- Sautéing the orzo and garlic in butter for a few minutes before cooking really amps of the flavor of the pasta, giving it a toasted, almost nutty flavor and mellows out the garlic.
- Feel free to use vegetable or beef broth instead of chicken.
- Broth is best but if you’re in a pinch, you can use water with these changes: use half water and half milk (1.5 cups of each), definitely taste for salt as you’ll need more than if using broth.
- DO NOT add the parmesan until you’re ready to serve as it will cause the creamy sauce to thicken a lot after it starts to cool.
- If a lot of steam escapes while the orzo is cooking, you may need to add more liquid (broth, milk or even water is fine). We want the orzo to be a little saucy and creamy, not dry or fluffy like rice.
I made this today and it was yummy. I added some rotisserie chicken and mixed frozen vegetables to make it the main dish.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I'll have to remember this when I have leftover chicken!
Delete