Creamy Parmesan Orzo
This delicately flavored creamy Orzo is a comforting one-pot recipe. Thinly sliced caramelized leeks give a lovely twist to the dish. Orzo gets cooked in vegetable stock and when mixed with parmesan cheese and a dash of cream creates the most delicious pasta sauce. And here is my recent discovery – toasting orzo in butter until slightly nutty is a game-changer and takes the dish to a whole new level.
Doesn’t this Creamy Orzo pasta look comforting? This one-pot recipe has subtle flavors from caramelized leeks and parmesan cheese. And my secret weapon is to toast Orzo until it has got that light nutty aroma. This is something I discovered recently and it’s such a differentiating factor. I follow this extra step for my Tomato Basil Chicken Orzo, Orzo Salad recipe as well.
Because we are big rice lovers at home, we love orzo. This tiny rice-shaped pasta cooks much faster and you can easily bring dinner to the table in 20 minutes on busy weekdays. I have used leeks instead of onions here because they have similar flavor profiles. Leek like onion, once caramelized adds a sweetness to the dish.
This is a one-pot recipe, where the Orzo is cooked in vegetable stock and when mixed with parmesan cheese, heavy cream( very little) creates the most luscious sauce. White wine is another flavor enhancer. Though optional I would recommend not to skip. Why Dijon Mustard you may ask? Like fresh lemon juice, it gives a pop of freshness and balances the creamy sauce.
Ingredients
- Orzo– Tiny pasta shaped like rice. Also called Risoni.
- Butter– I love butter for a rich taste but you can also use olive oil.
- Leek – A good alternative to Onions. Once caramelized adds a subtle sweetness to the dish.
- Garlic – minced
- White Wine – Another flavor enhancer that adds a lot of depth.
- Vegetable Stock – Use a good quality low-sodium stock.
- Dijon mustard– It balances the creamy parmesan sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese – I recommend freshly grated over bottled ones.
- Single/ light Cream – To make the cream sauce without making it too rich. You can also use heavy cream.
- Salt and pepper
Variation
You could add chopped cooked chicken, sundried tomatoes, baby spinach, balanced green peas to it.
Below ingredient shot I missed placing cream
4 Easy Steps To Make Creamy Orzo
1.Clean and prep Leek
Leek might have hidden dirt in between the layers. It is very important to clean it thoroughly. Trim the dark green part and a couple of outer layers. Cut into half horizontally keeping the bottom part intact. Then place it under running water and clean in between the layers. Alternatively, after discarding the unwanted parts, slice them thinly. Place it in a bowl of water and rinse well. Drain before using.
2.Caramelize leek and toast orzo
Saute thinly sliced leek in butter on medium heat until reduced to half the quantity. Then reduce heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes to get lightly caramelized edges. Towards the end, add garlic and saute. Garlic might burn if added before the leek is caramelized. Cooking leek until its light brown in colour, brings sweetness to the veggie.
After adding orzo, toss on medium-high heat until it is lightly toasted and aromatic. This additional roasting gives a beautiful depth of flavor and nuttiness.
3. Deglaze and cook with vegetable stock
Add white wine and let half the quantity evaporate, so that no alcohol smells remain. Add warm vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Mix, reduce heat, cover, and let the orzo cook al dente. Orzo tends to settle and get stuck at the bottom, so make sure you stir it occasionally. Tip – Adding warm stock to the pan quickens the cooking.
Stir in dijon mustard, freshly grated parmesan cheese and cream. Mix and switch off the flame. Its a good time to check the seasoning now and add more salt if required.
Storing Leftovers
Well, orzo is nothing but a kind of pasta. So like any other pasta, you can refrigerate for up to 3 days. But keep in mind, orzo will soak up the liquid over time and swell up. While reheating add some warm stock and loosen the lumps of stuck orzo(preferably with fork or hand).
Because it has cheese and cream, I don’t recommend it freezing.
Serve Creamy Orzo With
If planning to serve it as side dish, then you can serve it with a variety of main dishes and roasted veggies. Personally I like something crispy/crunchy to pair with this creamy pasta like this crispy baked chicken tender, Italian Chicken Cutlet, Crispy airfryer chicken breast. Also goes well with Garlic butter chicken thighs, Baked Pork tenderloin, Parmesan crusted chicken breast , Spinach mushroom stuffed chicken breast etc.
More Orzo Recipes To Try
Creamy parmesan orzo with leek
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dry Orzo
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 2 stems Leek
- 1-2 Garlic Clove
- ¼ cup Dry White Wine
- 2 cup Vegetable Stock
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Clean Leek – Trim the dark green top of the leek and also 1-2 tough outer layer. Slice in half lengthwise keeping the bottom part whole. Run under cold water thoroughly. Alternatively, after trimming the top green part and the outer layer, slice it very thin, add it to a bowl of cold water, rinse we
- Melt butter in a skillet. Add thinly sliced leek. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. The quantity will reduce to half and then it will start to caramelize around the edges. Cooking slow and low towards the end caramelizes leek and adds tons of flavor.
- Towards the end of cooking leek, add minced garlic and saute for another minute.
- Stir in the dry orzo. Reduce heat and toast orzo until it changes color to light brown and smells toasty. It should take roughly 5 minutes. (ref note 1)
- Add in white wine to the skillet and let it cook until it has evaporated to half.
- Stir in warm vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and let it cook on low heat until the orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed and has formed a creamy sauce. Make sure to stir occasionally, as orzo has the tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once Orzo is cooked, add dijon mustard, freshly grated parmesan, and heavy cream. Stir and let the cheese melts.
Notes
- Spending an extra 5 minutes to toast orzo is a game changer in overall flavor.
- Adding cream is optional, for lighter version you can skip cream altogether. It still be creamy.
- You can add baby spinach towards the end after Orzo is cooked through, let it wilt, and then add parmesan, dijon mustard, and heavy cream.
Nutrition
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