Community Pick
Creamy Parmesan Orzo

photo by ChefLee



- Ready In:
- 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 1⁄4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 1⁄4 cups water
- 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, fresh is better
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted
directions
- Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, and orzo is done, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately.
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Reviews
see 25 more reviews
Tweaks
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Great recipe! I modified it a bit to fit ingredients we had on hand - substituted shallots for onions, some water with boullion flavoring for chicken broth, and white cheddar for the cheese. We also added mushrooms (while cooking shallots & garlic) and a bit of julienned spinach at the end giving it some nice color and texture. Our entire family *loved* it - kids included. Definitely not the last time this dish will grace our table. Thank You!
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This was great and really easy to make. I cook orzo often but usually as part of a main dish with some kind of meat. I had never thought of it as a potential side-dish until now. It's faster and easier than rice and tastes wonderful. I substituted fresh parsley instead of basil (personal preference) and sliced almonds instead of pine nuts as I didn't have any and it worked really well.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I am a former retail management slave who is now a stay at home mom who absolutely loves her job. I have an eight year old, a two year old and a nine month old who all bring their own kind of joy to my life. My favorite thing in the world is to cook. We have a real, from scratch family dinner almost every night. Please don't be offended if I somewhat change a recipe in my review. I look at recipes sort of as guidelines, and alter them according to inspiration. I've received alot of helpful advice from reviews, that's why I share what I've done differently. With my little ones I'm pretty busy, but I LOVE this site and plan on being even more active as they get older.