Creamy Orzo Pasta with Rosemary Browned Butter
Here’s your new favorite side dish recipe! Creamy Orzo Pasta with Rosemary Browned Butter is currently a hot and trending TikTok sensation all around the globe. Rosemary and browned butter pair so well in this rich side dish, perfectly complimenting the tangy flavors of the creamy Asiago cheese and paprika.
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You are in for a treat with this orzo pasta recipe. This side dish is incredibly quick to make, and it turns out luscious and rich…..so elegantly easy, every single time. I love how creamy orzo pasta pairs well with meat dishes, whether beef, pork or chicken.
You could easily turn this orzo side dish into a main dish by adding cooked meat, such as grilled steak, rotisserie chicken, roasted pork tenderloin, or seafood. Yowza!!
WHAT TO LOVE ABOUT ORZO PASTA RECIPES
- Orzo can be used to make pasta dishes, soups, side dishes, and also in salads.
- Because of it’s shape and size, orzo is one of the quickest cooking pastas available.
- Orzo is creamy and luscious. Talk about glorious COMFORT FOOD!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Unsalted butter
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Honey
- Fresh rosemary
- Vegetable broth
- Orzo pasta
- Sweet paprika
- Sour cream
- Asiago cheese: Substitute any mild Italian cheese, such as Pecorino, Romano or Parmesan for Asiago. Or, feel free to even substitute Swiss or a mild white cheddar cheese in this orzo recipe.
- Lemon zest
- Red pepper flakes
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
**PRINT THE FULL RECIPE FROM THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST
In a large, deep skillet or a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium low heat, melt the butter. Cook the butter, stirring occasionally, until it stops foaming and brown specks start to appear. Turn the heat to low as the butter begins to brown further and shares a nutty aroma.
Add the chopped shallots and rosemary sprig. Cook, over medium heat, stirring gently for 4-5 minutes, just until the shallots have softened and the rosemary is very fragrant; remove the rosemary sprig. Stir in the garlic, honey, paprika, and orzo pasta.
Slowly add the vegetable broth; bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat until the orzo is just simmering.
Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been fully absorbed; remove from heat.
Stir in the sour cream, Asiago cheese, minced rosemary, and lemon zest until well incorporated; fold in the lemon zest. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as desired, adding salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve the warm orzo with more shredded Asiago cheese, red pepper flakes and lemon zest, as desired.
IS ORZO THE SAME THING AS RICE?
No, though orzo and rice do have the same shape. Orzo may be shaped just like rice, but it is usually slightly larger in size and more elongated. Rice is classified as a grain and orzo is pasta, traditionally made from flour.
WHERE DO YOU FIND ORZO IN THE GROCERY STORE?
Because orzo is pasta (and not rice like it looks to be), you will find it in the dry pasta aisle, typically on the top shelf in a one pound box. But, because orzo is rice-shaped, sometimes grocery stores will have some of it in the rice aisle, too.
WHAT IS ORZO ALSO CALLED?
Orzo is also knows as Risoni, another small semolina pasta that is very versatile and used in many Italian recipes.
CAN YOU ADD VEGETABLES TO ORZO?
Absolutely! You could add vegetables to this orzo recipe to add color, texture and to boost the nutrition of the dish. Broccoli or green beans would be delicious stirred into this orzo. Add them at the the same time you stir in the vegetable broth, letting the green beans or broccoli simmer with the orzo until done.
CAN YOU MAKE ORZO IN THE INSTANT POT?
Yes! It’s fast and easy to make orzo in the Instant Pot. Once pressurized, orzo takes only about 2 minutes to cook. I like to cook my orzo in chicken or vegetable broth for added flavor, instead of just plain water.
CAN YOU COOK ORZO IN A RICE COOKER?
Yes, you can certainly cook orzo in a rice cooker. It will take 15-20 minutes to cook orzo in a rice cooker, about the same time it takes to get tender when simmering it on the stove, as in this recipe.
MORE FAVORITE MAIN DISH RECIPES TO ENJOY ORZO AS A SIDE DISH WITH:
- Butternut Squash Orzo
- Cheesy Orzo Pasta
- HOW TO MAKE FOOL-PROOF PRIME RIB STEP-BY-STEP
- JUICY CAST IRON SKILLET STEAK
- EYE OF ROUND ROAST BEEF
- TRI TIP ROAST WITH CRISPY POTATOES
- AIR FRYER MARINATED STEAK BITES
Creamy Orzo with Rosemary Browned Butter
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Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 2 shallots finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed or minced
- 1 Tbs. honey or to taste
- 1 medium fresh rosemary sprig whole
- 1 medium fresh rosemary sprig leaves finely minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups orzo pasta
- 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 Tbs.
sour cream
- 1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese, may substitute Parmesan or Romano
- zest of 1/2 lemon
Topping
- Asiago cheese freshly shredded
- Red pepper flakes if desired
- lemon zest
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet (12-inch is a good size) over medium low heat, melt the butter. Slowly cook the butter, stirring very gently and occasionally, until it stops foaming and golden brown specks start to appear. Turn the heat to low as the butter begins to brown further and offers a nutty aroma.
- Add the chopped shallots and the whole rosemary sprig to the butter in the skillet. Cook, over medium low heat, for 4-5 minutes, gently stirring every once in a while, until the shallots have softened and rosemary is fragrant; remove the rosemary sprig.
- Stir in the garlic, honey, paprika and orzo pasta; slowly add the vegetable broth. Bring the orzo to a rolling boil, then immediately reduce the heat until the orzo is just gently simmering.
- Cook the orzo for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been fully absorbed; remove from the heat.
- Stir in the sour cream, lemon zest, minced rosemary, and shredded Asiago until well incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve the warm orzo topped with more shredded Asiago cheese, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest, as desired.