Creamy parmesan orzo with leek

Orzo cooks in vegetable stock creating the most creamy one pot pasta recipe. Toasting orzo is a game changer and takes this recipe to a whole new level.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 310kcal

Author Subhasmita

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