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Home » Recipes » Easy Herbed Risotto Styled Orzo

Easy Herbed Risotto Styled Orzo

Published: Apr 8, 2014 · Modified: Jun 6, 2022 by LindySez · This post may contain affiliate links

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Orzo, like rice, can be a blank canvass for flavors. Start with this simple recipe for Herbed Orzo, then let your imagination take over

Herbed Orzo in a bowl.
Creamy "risotto" orzo with fresh herbs is a perfect side dish

The story behind Herbed Orzo

This recipe for Herbed Orzo is not really a recipe at all.

Well, it is a recipe, but it's not. Just like orzo looks like rice, but it isn't. It's pasta. But it works just like rice.  Clear enough?

What is Orzo really?

Orzo, Italian for "barley" due to its resemblance to the grain in its unprocessed form. It is a small rice-shaped pasta made from semolina flour. It's classified among pasta as "pastina" — a category of tiny shapes commonly used for soups.

It is not gluten-free but its shape and simple pasta flavor lend it well for making it the base of many tasty dishes like I used here in my recipe for Tequila Sunrise Pork with Orzo where it is used similar to risotto. 

The main purpose of this recipe is to simply show how easy it is to take something very ordinary, plain orzo, and change it into a fresh, tasty side, like Herbed Orzo.

The fresh herbs transform. A little butter and some fruity extra virgin olive oil lend a nice mouthfeel. It's like making pesto but without the work. The flavors are so easy to work with; add a little parmesan cheese. It's a new side. Add some pine nuts, different again. How about some fresh peas? or Spinach? Really, this recipe is just a concept. A blank canvass. Ready for your creative touch to your family's taste.

So create away!

Raw orzo in a measuring cup with herbs scatted around.

Easy Herbed Risotto Style Orzo

LindySez
Orzo, like rice, can be a blank canvass for flavors. Start with this simple recipe for Herbed Orzo, then let your imagination take over.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Rice & Grains
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 109 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon fresh minced thyme
  • ½ teaspoon fresh minced oregano
  • ½ teaspoon fresh minced tarragon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain reserving ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Return the orzo to the pot and stir in the butter, oil, and herbs along with salt and pepper, to taste. Add a little pasta water if you want a looser dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gSodium: 77mgFiber: 1gCholesterol: 3mgCalories: 109kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gFat: 4gProtein: 3gCarbohydrates: 16g
Keyword orzo, orzo risotto, rice shaped pasta
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Hi, I'm Lindy.

I am a home-trained chef who loves to cook and eat delicious food. As I like to say, "Life is too short to eat mediocre food". And I find too much food out there is mediocre. I don't think good food needs to be fussy, or difficult to prepare. Most of my recipes are fresh, quick, easy, and tasty while keeping both calories and fats in check. 

More about me →

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