Risotto Pasta

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.

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.

Substitutions and Variations

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.
• 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.

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.

If you love pasta recipes, you may also enjoy this tuna or salmon pasta casserole, Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo or our baked rigatoni.

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.

FAQ

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

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Risotto Pasta

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