Creamy Lemon Parmesan Orzo

When we moved to West Virginia, we met some of our very best friends Liz and Don. Not only are they one of the sweetest couples with a smart and fun daughter, but they are also some of the biggest foodies and best cooks we know. One of the first meals they made for us was a delicious vegetable risotto. While I love a good risotto, I know it can be daunting to make it yourself. So I came up with this creamy lemon parmesan orzo that uses something people are a little more comfortable cooking: pasta!

This lemon parmesan orzo recipe uses the same technique as making risotto. You toast your pasta in a skillet for a few seconds and then add warm broth a few cups at a time until your pasta is cooked and the starch from the pasta creates a beautiful, creamy, flavorful sauce. Then you add cheese. Lots of parmesan cheese. Plus a squeeze of bright, fresh lemon. It’s a delicious side dish with chicken or fish and I love to add fresh herbs in the summer to brighten it up even more.

Creamy Lemon Parmesan Orzo Ingredients

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cloves garlic – minced
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk or half and half
Zest from one lemon
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt
Pepper

How to Make Creamy Lemon Parmeson Orzo

Heat your chicken broth in a saucepan until it’s warmed through, but not boiling. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat and then add your uncooked orzo, garlic and lemon zest.

Cook until the orzo and garlic become fragrant.

Spoon in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth.

Cook on medium, stirring frequently until it has been absorbed.

Add another 1/2 cup of chicken broth and continue this until all of your chicken broth has been absorbed. Keep adding by 1/2 cup, until all 3 cups of liquid has been used. With your very last 1/2 cup of broth, toss in your frozen peas and let them warm through.

Once the broth has all been absorbed, stir in your milk and lemon juice.

Add your parmesan cheese, and give it another stir.

Don’t be afraid to top with a little more parmesan!

Cookware I Used

Stainless Skillet: I like to use a skillet to make this dish because I think it cooks the orzo more evenly. You could use a non-stick skillet, but I used my 12-inch stainless one.

Microplane: This is one of my absolute favorite kitchen gadgets. You can use it to zest the lemon, grate the garlic into your dish, and then also use it for the parmesan!

Large Soup Ladle: I think this is the easiest way to get your warm chicken broth from the saucepan to your skillet. A larger ladle fits just enough broth for each step of the cooking process.

Making This Creamy Lemon Recipe with Rice

You can easily swap out the orzo in this recipe for rice. If you’re making it in the same way and want a true risotto, use Arborio rice. You can follow the same recipe and instructions above, but you may need an additional cup of broth or water to fully cook the rice. Any broth you don’t use, just cool it off and put it in the fridge to use for a later recipe.

Can You Cook and Drain the Orzo Like Regular Pasta?

Technically you could make this dish by cooking the pasta and draining it like you would any other pasta, but you would have a much drier and less creamy orzo. The key to making this dish is to create a rich and creamy sauce with the starchy cooking liquid. This happens as you cook the orzo slowly, stirring in the broth bit by bit. I don’t think you could get the same results by boiling and then draining your pasta.

If you absolutely abhor the idea of ladling the warm broth to cook the pasta, you could boil and drain your orzo and then use some whole milk or heavy cream to create a creamy sauce. Just be sure to season appropriately if not using the chicken broth, as chicken broth is salted and milk and cream are not.

Ways to Serve Creamy Lemon Parmesan Orzo

Here are a few ways to make this side dish into a full meal:

With a rotisserie chicken, either carved up on the side or shredded and mixed throughout
As a side to a nice grilled steak or piece of salmon
With additional broccoli or zucchini (as someone mentioned in the comments!) for added nutrients
With handfuls of fresh basil and parsley chopped finely and mixed in to create an herby, flavorful sauce

Other Pasta Side Dishes to Enjoy

Here are a few other pasta dishes that I love for you to try whenever you get tired of this creamy orzo, which might honestly be never!

Creamy Bacon and Gruyere Orzo
One Pan Garlic Parmesan Shells
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Creamy Pumpkin and Sage Orzo