I was in the mood for some Orzo so made this delicious Lemon Herbed Orzo dish. If you are not familiar with Orzo, it’s basically pasta shaped like large grains of rice.
Many people often confuse Orzo with Rice. Orzo is pasta, not a grain like Rice.
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While this Orzo recipe is very easy to make, you need to make sure you cook the Orzo to perfection. You want the orzo to be cooked just a tad under al dente.
In most cases, this should take 7-8 minutes. When in doubt always refer to the directions on the box.
What is Al Dente
When making pasta, it’s important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure to best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term “al dente”, it means cooking the pasta so it’s still chewy and firm and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.
I always recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice as much as possible but if that is not an option for you try to use the highest quality bottled lemon juice that you can. It will make a difference in the overall flavor of this dish.
I prefer to use fresh herbs for this recipe but if you don’t have access to any you can substitute for the dried variety. I have not personally tried this but doing so will change the flavor profile of this wonderful orzo dish.
Italian Parsley and Flat-Leaf Parsley are basically the same thing. Grocery stores may use either name.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Lemon Herbed Orzo recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Orzo, Unsalted Butter, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Shallots, Fresh Italian Parsley, Fresh Chives, Fresh Basil, Fresh Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Kosher Salt, Ground Black Pepper and Parmesan Cheese.
How to Make Lemon Herbed Orzo
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add in the orzo and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until just al dente. Immediately drain well.
- Return the orzo to the pot and stir in the butter, oil, shallots and fresh herbs. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper and parmesan cheese.
Lemon Herbed Orzo
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Ingredients
- 2 Cups Orzo, uncooked
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Shallots, finely minced
- ½ Cup Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
- ¼ Cup Fresh Chives, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
- 3 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest, finely minced
- ¾ Tsp Kosher Salt
- ⅛ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ⅓ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add in the orzo and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until just al dente. Immediately drain well.
- Return the orzo to the pot and stir in the butter, oil, shallots and fresh herbs. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper and the parmesan cheese.
This Lemon Herbed Orzo is scrumptious. Very tasty. The lemon zest and the Parmesan cheese makes all the difference in this recipe. Will definitely make this recipe again.