Quick creamy orzo with asparagus

There are certain restaurant-quality dishes that just aren’t that difficult to make at home. This creamy orzo is kind of a poor man’s risotto, but it only takes 20 minutes to make instead of 45 minutes or whatever.

That doesn’t mean this is exactly risotto, because orzo isn’t rice. But the resulting stir-fry is very flexible and so creamy and wonderfully rich. I added some asparagus to this version, but you’ll see that you can add a wide variety of veggies and proteins.

Let’s dive in and make this delicious orzo recipe!

What is orzo?

People are very confused about Orzo. It looks like big rice, so sometimes people (even my wife) mistake it for rice or grain, but it’s a pure pasta. This means that orzo is not gluten free, so be careful!

However, I like orzo because it cooks very quickly and also has a lot of surface area so you can use the starch in the orzo to make a really delicious 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 creamy orzo

Let’s dive into the few ingredients you’ll need for this very quick pasta dinner.

• Butter – I like to use butter as the fat for the recipe, but you could use olive oil as well.
• Flavorings – Onions and garlic and keys to this recipe to build up some flavor. Don’t skip them.
• Italian Seasoning – I like to add this to the pan for a nice flavor boost.
• Orzo – Obviously! This stuff gets bigger, so 8 ounces is a good amount.
• Liquids – Chicken broth and half and half are the bases I used.
• Parmesan Cheese – This adds a savory flavor and helps the sauce thicken.
• Vegetables – I added asparagus which worked great but read the substitutions for other ideas.

How to make the sauce for this orzo

This sauce will develop as the orzo pasta cooks. After lightly searing the orzo in the butter, add the chicken broth to the pan, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and while the orzo cooks, the sauce will thicken.

Adding the half and half when the orzo is halfway through cooking will make the sauce even creamier!

Once the orzo is cooked and the sauce seems too thin, simply remove the lid and stir over low heat for a minute or two and the sauce will thicken very quickly. If the sauce seems too thick and sticky, thin it out with a little water or chicken broth.

How to cook the asparagus

This is a quick way to prepare the vegetables in this recipe. When the orzo is about half done, add the asparagus directly to the pan. They will steam while the orzo finishes cooking.

If you put the asparagus in the pan at the beginning, it will be overcooked, so be careful!

So many substitutes for this creamy orzo!

Let’s dive into the substitutions for this recipe!

• If you want to make this vegetarian, just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
• Change the vegetables. Mushrooms (sautéed in advance), spinach, or fresh peas.
• Add some protein to the orzo by topping it with roasted chicken or roasted pork chops.
• Garnish the dish with various twists from lemon zest to red pepper flakes.

What to serve with this orzo recipe

This is quite a hearty dish and can be the star of dinner alone with a side salad. Maybe this strawberry salad or this beetroot salad.

But this 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.

Warming up this orzo dish

Reheating this creamy orzo pasta is easy. In a large pan, add about 1/2 cup of water and once it is simmering, add the leftover creamy orzo. Stir while it reheats. The simmering water will quickly bring the sauce back to life and the orzo will be cooked to perfection!

My creamy orzo with asparagus recipe

Here are a few more great recipes to try!