Lemon orzo pasta is a perfect summer dish, which has a creamy texture and a zingy flavour. Take a break from your regular pasta dish and make this Super easy One pot lemon orzo pasta, which is perfect for a week night, meal or Summer Barbeque.
Lemon orzo recipe
Orzo pasta is a new kind of pasta to me. I discovered it only few years back. Ever since I always store them in my freezer. I like to add them to my chicken soup instead of rice.
Few weeks back, I came across a recipe for risotto, which is made using orzo pasta which inspired me to try this lemon pasta dish. To my surprise, everyone in the family loved it, and I served it with grilled chicken on the side.
About Lemon orzo
Orzo pasta is a tiny pasta dish, which looks like rice, and it can be added to soups, salads or even cooked into risotto. This is a great pasta to have in your pantry because you can add it to soups, which gives body to the soup and makes it more filling. Check my cheese pasta.
I want to have a simple pasta dish, which can be made under 15 minutes and still taste incredibly delicious. I loved how this dish came together, so beautifully, so creamy, full of freshness. Great for summer gatherings. In addition to this, check my creamy corn pasta and ssamjang pasta.
All you need is a single pot, and you can whip up this lemon also in No time. I used simple ingredients and finished the dish with a good amount of cream, which made this light meal into satisfying pasta. I want this dish to be bright yellow in colour, so I added a touch of turmeric powder which did the job.
Similar Recipes
If you want this dish to be super light, you could even skip the cream. Add more Parmesan cheese, and extra pasta water. You have to mix this really well to emulsify which create the creamy texture.
Even though this is a simplest pasta dish, you could ever make, the one important tip I can provide you is using extra broth when cooking the dish. Also cook the pasta till it is semi liquid like consistency (risotto texture) because as the pasta cools down, it gets even more thicker.
Ingredients
- Pasta - you can use any pastina in this recipe, which is like a tiny pasta like ditalini, orzo, acini di pepe, Stelline.
- Butter - I love using butter to cook this dish. For lighter option use olive oil.
- Onion and Garlic - is used as aromatic which create the flavour base for the dish. Garlic when cooked in butter totally enhance the flavour.
- Lemon - amount of lemon totally depends on your taste.
- Broth - I used vegetable broth, but you could use water or chicken broth.
- Cream - a little amount of cream added to create a creamy texture in the pasta and also enhances the taste.
- Coriander leaves - any herbs like cilantro, coriander leaves, or even basil leaves can be added.
- Seasonings - as far as seasoning, I only used salt and pepper powder. But you could use garlic powder, paprika to your taste.
Step by Step Pictures
1)Heat butter in a wide pan. Add in garlic and onions into the butter.
2)Sauté till it is aromatic. It will take around 2 minutes.
3)Add in orzo pasta into the onion and garlic mixture.
4)Stir fry in the garlic onion butter for 2 to 3 minutes till orzo gets slightly nutty.
5)Pour in vegetable stock, turmeric powder and mix well.
6)Bring it to a full boil, mix it once scraping the bottom really well.
7)Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes until orzo is cooked.
8)Now add in salt, black pepper powder and mix well.
9)Take it off the heat, add in lemon juice. This totally depend on your taste. Add more or less by tasting.
10)Add in cream and coriander leaves. Mix well.
11) Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- You can use any pasta shape instead of orzo, but make sure it is pastina variety.
- You can skip cream in this recipe and use parmesan cheese and pasta cooking liquid to emulsify the sauce.
- Vegetables like boiled peas, snap peas, corn can be added. Even cooked chicken can be mixed into the pasta.
- Taste and adjust lemon juice to your taste. A small amount of lemon zest adds fresh taste.
Serving & Storage
It is best to enjoy lemon orzo hot or warm. If you prefer to store this, it can be kept in an air tight container in fridge for 3 to 4 days.
📖 Get Recipe
Creamy Lemon Orzo Pasta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat butter in a wide pan. Add in garlic and onions and sauté for 2 minute till it is aromatic.
- Add in orzo pasta and stir fry in the garlic butter for 2 to 3 minutes till orzo gets slightly nutty.
- Pour in vegetable stock, turmeric powder and mix well. Bring it to a full boil, mix it once scraping the bottom really well. Cover with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes until orzo is cooked.
- Now add in salt, black pepper powder and mix well.
- Take it off the heat, add in lemon juice, cream and coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Serve immediately.
Leave a Reply