Craving the luxurious, creamy comfort of risotto but short on time? Meet your new weeknight hero: Risotto-Style Orzo, or ‘Orzotto’! This clever dish uses tiny, rice-shaped pasta to mimic the texture of classic risotto, delivering that same soul-soothing richness in just 25 minutes. It’s elegant enough for a special occasion but simple enough for a Tuesday night. We’ll gently toast the orzo, then slowly add warm broth, letting the starches release to create a velvety, luscious sauce. Finished with butter and salty Parmesan, it’s a pot of pure, unadulterated comfort.
Ingredients
• 4 to 5 cups (960 ml to 1.2 L) vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 cups (400 g) orzo
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
1. Gently warm the vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over low heat and keep it at a simmer.
2. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the orzo to the skillet. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is lightly toasted and coated in oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then pour in the white wine. Stir until the wine has completely evaporated.
4. Begin adding the warm stock, one ladleful (about 1/2 cup) at a time. Stir frequently, allowing the orzo to absorb most of the liquid before adding the next ladleful. The mixture should always be simmering gently, never dry.
5. Continue adding stock and stirring for 10-15 minutes. Start tasting the orzo after 10 minutes. It’s ready when it’s tender with a slight al dente bite.
6. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the softened butter and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese until melted and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan.
Nutritional Information
• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 550 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 75 g
• Protein: 18 g
• Fat: 20 g
• Sodium: 850 mg
Pro Tips
• & Variations
• Don’t skip the toasting! Sautéing the dry orzo in oil before adding liquid gives it a wonderful nutty flavor and helps it cook more evenly.
• Keep your stock warm. Adding cold liquid to the hot pan will cool everything down and interfere with the cooking process. Keep it at a gentle simmer in a separate pot.
• For a zesty twist, add the zest of 2 lemons along with the orzo, and substitute the wine with fresh lemon juice for a bright, tangy flavor.
• To make this dish vegan, use a creamy, unsweetened almond milk for half of the vegetable stock, replace the butter with 2 tablespoons of almond butter, and omit the Parmesan cheese. Garnish with toasted almond slivers.
• Feel free to use other small pasta shapes like orecchiette or small shells. You can even break long pasta like spaghetti into 1-inch pieces, but be mindful that cooking times may vary slightly.
