One Pot Tomato Orzo

a pan with cooked orzo, tomatoes, parsley, and a wooden spoon.

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5 from 19 votes

Ready fast and dirties only one dish!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Low Fat, Vegetarian

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 409kcal

Author Tracy

Equipment

3.5 qt pan with lid or larger

Ingredients

1 lb orzo
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 onion chopped
1 tablesoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups fresh tomatoes chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 cups vegetable stock room temp see notes
1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Saute: Add olive oil to the pan and heat to medium. Add garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until onions become transluscent.
Add white wine vinegar to the pan to deglaze.
Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper and saute for another 5 minutes.
Boil: Add stock, lemon juice, and orzo to the pan. Turn up heat to medium-high to bring to a gentle boil and then cover and let cook for 8 minutes.
Check after 8 minutes to see if the orzo is tender, but not mushy. If not tender, cover and cook for another 1 minute.
Finish: Once the orzo is tender, remove from the heat and add cheese and parsley (save some to garnish with if desired) and mix well.
Serve: Serve and enjoy!

Video

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="1A1gzwmK" upload-date="2024-07-04T13:30:48.000Z" name="One Pot Tomato Orzo.mp4" description="When you're short on time and need to get something delicious and healthy on the table, our 20 Minute One Pot Tomato Orzo recipe is it! This vegetarian orzo recipe dirties only one dish and is packed full of fresh tomatoes and cheese for a flavorful fast dinner or side." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]

Notes

Substitutions

Orzo - This recipe is an orzo-specific recipe and we don't suggest substituting other pasta with this sized pot/amount of stock.

Stock - Use vegetable or chicken. If using stock that's been stored in the fridge, take it out of the fridge to warm to room temperature. Or you can heat it in a pot or put it in a pyrek measuring cup and pop it in the microwave (using cold stock will add to the time it takes to bring it to a boil).

Cheese - Parmesan is our favorite, but you can also use another hard nutty cheese like Asiago, Romano, or gruyere.

Parsley - Fresh is best!

Onion - White or yellow is great.

Be Careful to not Overcook

Be sure to check the orzo after 8 minutes. If it's still not as tender as you'd like, let it cook another minute. Don't worry about the liquid level, it will continue to cook off a bit and will be absorbed by some of the cheese. It's a creamier dish and you don't want it all absorbed when you first open the lid. Orzo when overcooked can get mushy.

Garnish

Save some of the cheese or parsley to finish with or garnish with if desired.

Nutrition