GARLIC PARMESAN ORZO — Orzo pasta combines with butter, garlic and Parmesan cheese in this quick and easy side dish the whole family will love.
Usually my idea of a side dish is throwing some rice in the rice cooker. If I even remember to do that. But this Garlic Parmesan Orzo is so easy, I can fix it for my family any night of the week, and I don’t even have to plan ahead!
I always have the ingredients on hand for this savory, creamy side dish. And I can whip it up in about 15 minutes! In fact, it’s so easy, my kids can make this for me while I focus on the main dish.
And they’re usually happy to help because the absolutely love this amazing orzo side dish. Actually, I’m pretty sure they’d eat it as a main dish. Pasta, garlic, butter and Parmesan cheese?
Sounds like a perfectly acceptable dinner to me!
You’ll also love how versatile this pasta is. It’s so easy to add veggies for a healthier version. My kids won’t touch peas on their own, but if I throw a handful into this garlicky orzo, they suddenly love peas!
I haven’t tried it myself, but I suspect this recipe would work well with any small pasta. You could probably even make it with my usual go-to side dish–rice!
My family honestly couldn’t stop raving about this recipe. My youngest requests it on a regular basis. He even takes it in a thermos for dinner when he goes on Scout camps. That’s how much he likes it!
All I know is when something is this easy to make, from ingredients you have on hand, and everyone loves it, you know you’ve got a keeper!
Be sure to save this Garlic Parmesan Orzo recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Garlic Parmesan Orzo
- Orzo
- Butter
- Produce: garlic, fresh parsley
- Parmesan cheese
- Milk
- Salt and pepper
Garlic Parmesan Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions until just tender, about 10 minutes; drain.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Stir cooked orzo into butter.
- Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Gradually add milk, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
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If you love this recipe, you might also like:
Homemade Rice-a-Roni
Rice Cooker Mushroom Risotto
Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from All Recipes
2 comments
Joan Scofield
When do you add the milk? Do you cook it with the butter, or stir in with the parmesan? Or is it only added to taste/texture, at the end, if you need to thin it out?
Danelle
At the end, to get the dish to the consistency you want. You may end up using less or more.