From 'risotto' to salads, 14 orzo recipes you need to try now
This versatile short-cut pasta is often used in place of rice and is one of our favourite shapes, often used in risotto's, stews and salads.
We've never met an orzo dish we didn't like and this versatile short-cut pasta is one of our favourites shapes to cook with.
It's shaped to resemble a large grain of rice, and is often used in place of rice in many dishes such as risotto (or orzotto we like to call it), hearty stews and fresh and vibrant salads.
It cooks quickly and benefits from being cooked in a broth to absorb all the lovely flavours of the dish. If you stir frequently you also get a lovely creamy texture, somewhat similar to what you'd get with risotto rice, too.
Below are our favourite orzo recipes to make now.
Herby Tomato & Orzo Salad
This beautiful dish makes the most of in season tomatoes and vibrant fennel, producing a dish that is perfect for lunch and dinner and perfect for office lunches the next day.
Recipe: Herby Tomato & Orzo Salad
Orzo Salad
Inspired by a Greek salad, this delicious dish only needs 10 mins of cooking time.
Recipe: Orzo Salad
Beetroot and Basil Orzo Traybake
The orzo absorbs the beetroots vibrant colour in this striking and flavoursome dish.
Recipe: Beetroot and Basil Orzo Traybake
Orzo Paella
By no means traditional, but still very delicious by replacing the rice with orzo pasta. Plus, it's ready in only 20 minutes!
Recipe: Orzo Paella
Speedy Chicken 'Risotto'
Just like your favourite chicken risotto, but with quick cooking short pasta! Cheesy, creamy and with bursts of sweetness from the peas.
Recipe: Speedy Chicken 'Risotto'
One-Pot Roast Chicken Orzo
This is one of our favourite recipes and makes a lovely Sunday lunch. Chopped tarragon is added and gives such a lovely flavour to the overall dish.
Recipe: One-Pot Roast Chicken Orzo
Lamb and Orzo Strew
lamb is slow cooked until tender and mixed through with orzo, olives and fresh parsley. This is one comforting dish.
Recipe: Lamb and Orzo Strew
Orzo Stuffed Courgettes
Tender, stuffed courgettes are filled with an orzo mixture of onion, tomatoes, olives and crumbled with feta cheese on top.
Recipe: Orzo Stuffed Courgettes
Asparagus Orzotto with Watercress Pesto
Make the most of the wonderful asparagus season with this orzo risotto with a vibrant watercress pesto swirled through at the end.
Preserved Lemon Chicken and Orzo
This is a flavour bomb in a dish! Chicken pieces are cooked with orzo, preserved lemon, olives and crumbled feta. Such a delicious meal.
Recipe: Preserved Lemon Chicken and Orzo
Puttanesca Stuffed Aubergines
If you're a fan of puttanesca pasta, you'll love these stuffed, jammy aubergines, filled with a puttanesca-inspired mix with orzo.
Recipe: Puttanesca Stuffed Aubergines
Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Roasted Carrot Orzo
This Middle-Eastern inspired beef dish is served with a spiced and fragrant orzo with carrots.
Crab Orzo n' Cheese
Tinned crab makes this cheesy dish more affordable and very easy to make.
Recipe: Crab Orzo n' Cheese
Greek Lamb with Orzo
This tomato based chickpea and lamb dish is bulked out with lots of orzo and a crumbling of feta. It's delicious!
Recipe: Greek Lamb with Orzo
A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
