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    Home » Blog » Sides

    Risotto Pasta

    Published: Jun 22, 2022 · Modified: Jun 21, 2022 by Karin and Ken · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

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    This risotto pasta recipe is easy and delicious. It’s loaded with vegetables, tender orzo pasta, simple spices, and grated Parmesan cheese. What more do you need? This is literally the perfect side dish.

    Bowl of risotto pasta with a fork stuck inside.

    If you love risotto and pasta, then this recipe is for you. Orzo pasta is prepared in a simplified manner from risotto in much less time but results in a flavorful side that’s perfect with almost anything.

    It makes a delicious side dish for all kinds of meals, but I really love it with oven baked beef ribs or smoked hamburger patties.

    This easy side dish was inspired by a flavorful rice recipe on this site and pairs well with this amazing bone-in chicken breast recipe.

    Ingredients in Pasta Risotto Recipe

    This pasta risotto uses simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store. It’s all about flavor, not fancy ingredients.

    • Orzo pasta: This small, oval-shaped pasta cooks up deliciously creamy.
    • Extra virgin olive oil: A healthy oil for simple lower heat for cooking the onions and garlic.
    • White onion and garlic: Adds fresh aromatic flavor to the dish.
    • Diced mushrooms: Fresh mushrooms add earthy umami flavor to the dish.
    • Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best.
    • Unsalted butter: Adds rich creamy flavor to the dish.
    • Chopped parsley: For color and flavor.
    • Grated parmesan cheese: Gives pasta risotto plenty of cheesy flavor.
    • Chicken broth: Adds more flavor than cooking the pasta with just water.

    See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full list and exact quantities of each ingredient.

    How to Make Orzo Pasta Risotto

    This is an easy, fast recipe that comes together quickly. You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in no time.

    Step 1: Cook the Vegetables

    Add olive oil to a large, deep, frying pan over medium heat. When hot add minced garlic, minced onion, and diced mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.

    Step 2: Add Pasta

    Add the lemon juice, butter, salt, pepper, and orzo pasta. Stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes.

    Step 3: Add Broth

    Pour the broth into the pan and add the chopped parsley. Then, stir, cover, and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring the orzo halfway through cooking.

    Step 4: Add the Parmesan

    Add the grated parmesan cheese, stir frequently, and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

    Hint: Don’t overcook the vegetables. You want to sweat them, not cook them down.

    Wooden spoonful of pasta risotto held up over the skillet of the pasta.

    Substitutions

    Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this risotto pasta recipe.

    • Orzo: If you don’t have orzo, you can use any small pasta like ditalini, stellini, small elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti.
    • Chicken Broth: You can use vegetable broth if you don’t have chicken broth or to make this dish vegetarian.
    • Seasoning: Instead of parsley use chives, leeks, shallots, basil, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, dill, or marjoram to make pasta risotto.
    • Vegetables: Swap the mushrooms with asparagus, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, snow peas, sugar snap peas, or green beans
    • Parmesan: If you prefer use pecorino romano, asiago or grana padano.

    Variations

    Want to personalize this pasta risotto recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this risotto-style recipe.

    • Spicy: Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
    • Orzo: Quinoa, couscous, arborio rice, and brown rice will also work well but may change the cooking time.
    • Lentils: Adding some cooked lentils towards the end of the cooking time, beefs up the protein in this dish and give it an earthy flavor that pairs well with the vegetables and broth.

    If you love pasta recipes, you may also enjoy this tuna or salmon pasta casserole.

    Equipment

    You’ll only need a few basic pieces of kitchen equipment to make this pasta risotto recipe.

    • Measuring cups and spoons
    • Knife
    • Cutting board
    • Spoon
    • Deep frying pan

    Storage

    You can store leftover pasta risotto in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

    To reheat, transfer the dish back to a skillet and heat over medium heat until hot. You may need to add a bit of water or chicken broth to the skillet to facilitate heating it up.

    Expert Tips

    Pasta risotto is an incredibly simple recipe, however, I do have some tips to help you make it the best that it can possibly be.

    • Cook the vegetables on high heat for 5 minutes and not a minute longer. You’re sweating them, not cooking them down.
    • Don’t stir your orzo too much or you risk making it too mushy or sticky.
    • Serve up as a side dish or turn it into a main dish with or without adding a protein.
    Bowl of pasta risotto with mushrooms on the table.

    FAQ

    Do you have questions about risotto pasta? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this risotto pasta recipe

    What is the difference between orzo and risotto?

    Orzo is pasta. Risotto is a dish usually made with rice and refers to a method of cooking rice whereby the liquid is added a little at a time until the rice absorbs it all and becomes soft and sort of coated in the liquid. Orzo is pasta that happens to be well suited for cooking similar to risotto.

    Is orzo pasta or rice?

    Orzo is pasta, although you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s rice. It has a similar shape to rice, but in reality, it’s just tiny pasta.

    Does orzo taste like rice?

    No. It’s made from semolina flour like any other pasta, so it tastes like pasta even though it looks like rice.

    Should orzo be al dente?

    Absolutely. All pasta should be cooked to al dente no matter the shape or size. To cook orzo to al dente, boil it in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes.

    Why is my orzo mushy?

    You overcooked it. All pasta should be cooked to al dente, but orzo is the prime example of why. When you overcook it, it becomes overly soft.

    More Pasta Recipes

    Do you like pasta? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

    • Pasta Napoletana
    • Steak and Shrimp Pasta
    • Spaghetti Verde Pasta
    • Summer Alfredo Pasta Recipe

    Risotto Pasta

    Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

    Bowl of risotto pasta with a fork stuck inside.

    Risotto Pasta

    This risotto pasta combines everything we love about risotto with delicious orzo pasta. It makes a great side dish for almost anything.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6
    Calories 282 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cups orzo pasta
    • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • ¼ cup white onion minced
    • ½ cup mushrooms diced
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ½ teaspoon black Pepper
    • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
    • 3 tablespoon parsley chopped
    • ¾ cup grated Parmesan
    • 3 cups chicken broth
    • Fresh parsley as garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Get out and measure your ingredients.
      Ingredients to make pasta risotto on the table.
    • Preheat a deep frying pan over medium heat.
    • Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom.
    • Add the minced garlic, minced onion, and diced mushrooms.
      Onions and mushrooms in the skillet with olive oil.
    • Sauté for 5 minutes.
      Mushrooms and onions are cooked.
    • Next, add the butter, salt and pepper.
      Butter added to the skillet.
    • Add orzo pasta.
      Orzo pasta added to the pan.
    • Stir until blended.
      Orzo pasta is toasted in the pan.
    • Next, add the lemon juice, Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
      Broth is added to the orzo risotto to cook.
    • Pour the broth into the pan and add the chopped parsley. Stir, then cover.
      Parsley added to pasta risotto cooking in the skillet.
    • Cook for 10 minutes.
      Pasta risotto in the pan ready to cook.
    • Stir the orzo halfway through.
      Cooked orzo pasta in the skillet.
    • Uncover and add the grated parmesan. Stir and cook for 5 more minutes.
      Parmesan added to risotto pasta in the skillet.
    • Garnish with fresh parsley.
      Risotto pasta garnished with fresh parsley leaf.
    • Serve.
      Wooden spoonful of pasta risotto held up over the skillet of the pasta.
    • Enjoy every bite.
      Bowl of pasta risotto with a fork digging in.

    Notes

    • Cook the vegetables on high heat for 5 minutes and not a minute longer. You’re sweating them, not cooking them down.
    • Don’t stir your orzo too much or you risk making it too mushy or sticky.
    • Serve up as a side dish or turn it into a main dish with or without adding a protein.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 10gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 1047mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 397IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword orzo risotto, pasta risotto, pasta risotto recipe
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    Ken and Karin

    We are the kitchen divas: Karin and my partner in life Ken.

    We have been attached at the heart and hip since the first day we met, and we love to create new dishes to keep things interesting. Variety is definitely the spice of life!

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