Parmesan Herb Orzo.
This parmesan orzo is our all-time favorite side dish! It is so incredibly versatile. It goes with everything in all seasons. Serve alongside chicken, fish, steak, beans or your favorite vegetarian dish.
Or alternatively titled, The Side Dish For Everything!
Seriously. You will absolutely LOVE this parmesan orzo. It’s a side dish that never gets old and can be served with almost any dish. During any season! At any meal!
Tell me that’s not the best.
So! This was the most made side dish in our house in 2021. It’s no secret that we LOVE orzo, but cooking it this way as a side dish is how we love it most. Yes I love all my fancy orzo salads for meals. They take longer though and requre a few steps.
This is simple. This is your Monday night side dish to go with everything – chicken, steak, salmon or even a vegetarian dish. It holds up against meatloaf or roasted shrimp. It’s really delicious, classic and traditional and something everyone in our family loves.
I love to use fresh herbs, but considering it’s the dead of winter right now, you can stir in a few dried herbs instead. Or you can forgo the herbs until your garden is flourishing this summer and just keep it to the parmesan cheese for now. No one will complain!
It’s a little different than the traditional orzo.
I cook this orzo like rice! I don’t boil it and then drain. Instead, I use a chicken or vegetable stock and simmer until it absorbs the liquid. Add lots of herbs, lots of parm and boom, it’s done.
The other thing that I love is toasting the orzo in butter! I toast it like I do with arborio rice for risotto. This gives it a depth of flavor that is wonderful. If you look closely at my photos, you may even see some toasted orzo bits. We love it!
It’s cheesy and chewy and a little toasty and delish.
Plus, you can have it made in 25 minutes! And the leftovers are still super good when reheated.
Need a few ideas to serve with this parmesan orzo? WELL! I am sharing this delicious weeknight skillet chicken pictured below later this week, but for now, here are a few suggestions:
Maple sheet pan smoked sausage
The orzo holds up so well along all of these main and it’s a welcomed cozy side dish that tastes incredible!
Parmesan Orzo
Parmesan Herb Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces orzo
- 32 ounces chicken or vegetable stock
- kosher salt and pepper
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh chopped herbs, or 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs (basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the orzo and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, so the orzo toasts. Pour in the stock along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom, until the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and the herbs. Serve!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Chewy cheesy goodness.
19 Comments on “Parmesan Herb Orzo.”
Is 16 oz of orzo equal to 2 cups? Thanks
Can’t wait to make this…looks awesome and delish!
What kind of dried herbs and/or fresh herbs do you suggest?
I used Italian seasoning and it was great!
Do you have instant pot version?
Just made this-simple and delicious!
You don’t say what fresh herbs you used? Do you have a suggestion?
This was so simple, yet so delicious! I prepped it in advance, and it still reheated well which was a nice surprise- ya never know with parmesan dishes. Toasting the quinoa made it feel extra special.
This orzo is so flavorful and delicious!! It’s a perfect compliment to so many dishes – chicken, pork or fish. It’s a wonderful change from rice and I plan on making it regularly!
What herbs did you use?
This is one of our new favorite side dishes! It reminds me of old school Chicken Rice a Roni that I grew up on, but definitely more sophisticated. I half the recipe for just my husband and I and it’s plenty. I also add a ton of black pepper because it also gives me some cacio e pepe vibes. Excellent recipe!
I want to make this. I would use fresh parsley and chives! Looks great. Thank you for sharing recipe.
Very good! Something a little different as a side dish. I used the vegetable Better than Bullion and we had fresh basil growing. We’ll be making it again!
Really delicious and very easy. I used two teaspoons Penzey’s Pasta Sprinkle (similar to an Italian seasoning) and one teaspoon dried rosemary. I added the herbs in with the stock. Thank you for a great recipe!
So good – served company, everyone loved it!
I made this last night for dinner with chicken and mushrooms. It was absolutely delicious, we loved it. I will be making it again. 5 Stars.
Very simple and tasty! I used fresh chopped basil and add some chopped cherry tomatoes.
Made this last night to take to dinner at a friends. They were serving grilled salmon with salad so I though a nice light carb would be complementary. This was perfect, light and flavorful and I only needed less than 30 minutes from start to finish, from pan to serving dish. This is wonderful and I will be making many times over. I added 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning for finishing.
My mom told me her mom (who passed on before I was born) used to make this without the parm and herbs when she or her brother were sick; it was their favorite comfort food.
We lost my mom 4 months ago and I’ve been craving her orzo in broth, but I didn’t know the broth-to-orzo ratio. Thank you for this. We really needed it.
It’s perfect.
I really liked this. Made exactly using fresh parsley as herb. Next time I think I’ll sauté some garlic and shallots at the end of toasting orzo for a more savory flavor.