Garlic orzo risotto is a simple dish featuring orzo pasta cooked slowly in white wine and chicken broth to create a creamy, tender side dish.
This recipe is super quick and requires only a handful of ingredients, making it a great option for a weeknight side dish. All you need to do is saute the aromatics, pan toast the orzo, season, and slowly add broth and stir until you get the tender, silky smooth risotto of your dreams. This dish will be on your table and in your tummy in a little more than 30 minutes.
What is Risotto?
Risotto is an Italian dish made from cooking short-grain arborio rice in a broth until it becomes creamy. The broth used can be made from meat (chicken, beef), seafood, or vegetables. And often times, butter, white wine, vegetables, and Parmesan cheese are added.
Risotto is typically made by sauteing aromatics first, then toasting the rice in the pan before gradually adding ladles of preheated broth to the rice and allowing it to absorb completely before adding more broth. This process allows the rice to release starches that result in the trademark creamy consistency of risotto.
What is Orzo?
Orzo is a thin, short oval shaped pasta that resembles grains of rice, but is made from semolina flour. It is classified as a pastina or “little pasta”. Orzo is a common substitute for arborio rice in risotto.
Ingredients
- Broth – low sodium chicken or vegetable broth work best for this recipe.
- Olive oil – for sauteing the aromatics and toasting the orzo.
- Aromatics – garlic and yellow onion form the delicious base for this dish.
- Orzo – quick cooking pasta that we’re using in place of arborio rice in this risotto.
- White wine – dry white wines, like pino grigio and sauvignon blanc, are the best options as they add a richness and subtle sweetness to the risotto. And as always when cooking with wine, don’t use a wine you wouldn’t drink! You can also sub in more broth if you’re not a wine person (the alcohol does cook off, just fyi).
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt and pepper are simple seasonings that pack in a ton of flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – an optional garnish.
How to Make Garlic Orzo Risotto
Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
While the broth simmers, heat the oil in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions just begin to brown slightly.
Add the orzo and toss to coat with any remaining oil. Allow the orzo to toast in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly brown. This adds a subtly nutty flavor to the risotto.
Stir the white wine into the orzo and simmer on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the wine completely evaporates. Stir regularly.
Add 2 cups of the warmed broth and the Italian seasoning to the orzo and simmer uncovered until the liquid is completely absorbed (about 8 to 10 minutes). Stir regularly to prevent burning.
Continue to add ½ cup of broth and allow it to completely absorb (about 2 to 3 minutes), stirring frequently. Repeat until the orzo is cooked through. We usually end up using an additional 2 cups of broth before the orzo is tender. Once we start adding the broth, it takes between 16 and 20 minutes for the orzo to become tender and ready to serve.
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. The broth adds a lot of flavor and salt to the recipe, so adjust the salt content to your taste. Remove from heat. Serve with Parmesan garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
- Store – store this risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat –
- stovetop (for best results) – add the desired amount of risotto to a small pan and add a few spoonfuls of broth. Warm on medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly.
- microwave – add the desired amount of risotto to a microwave safe bowl and add a little bit of broth to the bowl. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Do I need to preheat the broth – yes! preheating the broth allows the risotto to cook more evenly and cuts down on cooking time.
- Do I need to toast the orzo – yes! toasting the orzo adds a subtly nutty flavor to the risotto, but if you’re in a time crunch you can omit this step.
- Can I use grains other than orzo – yes! Risotto is traditionally made with arborio rice, so you can use short grain rices, like arborio, brown, or white rice. Just adjust the cook time, as each grain will absorb the liquid at a different rate.
- Why do you add liquid slowly to risotto – adding broth slowly and allowing it to completely absorb is the secret to making a good risotto. The slow addition allows the starches to be released slowly from the grain while keeping it tender in the center and results in a creamy texture.
- How can I tell if the orzo is done – For al dente risotto, test for a firm texture when bitten. If you prefer softer risotto, you can continue to add broth and cook longer if desired.
- What makes risotto creamy – despite popular belief, it is not milk, butter, or cream that makes risotto creamy, but rather the starches in the grain that are released during the slow cooking process that make it creamy.
- Is risotto rice or pasta – traditional risotto is made with arborio rice. We use orzo, a short cut pasta made from semolina flour, in our risotto.
- Is risotto gluten free – our orzo risotto is not gluten free, as we use orzo pasta, which contains flour. However, traditional risotto is made with short-grain rice, making it gluten-free. Make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the orzo with a short-grain rice of your choice.
- Is risotto healthy – it can be! Our recipe is low-oil, contains no butter, cream, or cheese, so it is low in fat. We also use low-sodium broth to cut back on the sodium levels. Plus this risotto is the perfect base for adding in your own lean protein, or seasonal veggies (check our recommendations below).
What to Pair with this Orzo Risotto
- Protein – Italian herb chicken, chicken piccata, creamy pesto chicken scallopini, lemon turkey meatballs, favorite turkey meatballs, shrimp, beef, pan seared pesto salmon, or scallops are excellent additions to this risotto.
- Veggies – asparagus, peas, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, broccoli, or butternut squash are great compliments to this risotto. Side salads are also a great option.
- More carbs – for the carb lovers like me, add fresh baked bread, dinner rolls, breadsticks, or garlic bread as a side. It’s perfect for soaking up those delicious risotto juices. 🙂
Check out our other Italian inspired dishes
- Chickpea minestrone soup
- Sausage and spinach lasagna
- Potato gnocchi
- Chicken gnocchi soup
- Healthy chicken piccata
- Pomodoro sauce
Let us know what you think about this recipe for garlic orzo risotto by dropping a comment and/or rating below on the recipe card. Also, please consider sharing on social media. We appreciate your help! 💕
Garlic Orzo Risotto
Ingredients
- 4-5 c low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (more if needed)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 12 oz orzo
- ½ c dry white wine
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, if desired (garnish)
Instructions
- Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- While the broth simmers, heat the oil in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions just begin to brown slightly.
- Add the orzo and toss to coat with any remaining oil. Allow the orzo to toast in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly brown. This adds a nutty flavor to the risotto.
- Stir the white wine into the orzo and simmer on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the wine completely evaporates. Stir regularly
- Add 2 cups of the warmed broth and the Italian seasoning to the orzo and simmer uncovered until the liquid is completely absorbed (about 8 to 10 minutes). Stir regularly to prevent burning.
- Continue to add ½ cup of broth and allow it to completely absorb (about 2 to 3 minutes), stirring frequently. Repeat until the orzo is cooked through. We usually end up using an additional 2 cups of broth before the orzo is tender. Once we start adding the broth, it takes between 16 and 20 minutes for the orzo to become tender and ready to serve.
- Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. The broth adds a lot of flavor and salt to the recipe, so adjust the salt content to your taste. Remove from heat. Serve with Parmesan garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Do I need to preheat the broth – yes! preheating the broth allows the risotto to cook more evenly and cuts down on cooking time.
- Do I need to toast the orzo – yes! toasting the orzo adds a subtly nutty flavor to the risotto, but if you’re in a time crunch you can omit this step.
- Can I use grains other than orzo – yes! Risotto is traditionally made with arborio rice, so you can use short grain rices, like arborio, brown, or white rice. Adjust the cook time, as each grain will absorb the liquid at a different rate.
- Why do you add liquid slowly to risotto – adding broth slowly and allowing it to completely absorb allows the starches to be released slowly from the grain while keeping it tender in the center and results in a creamy texture.
- How can I tell if the orzo is done – For al dente risotto, test for a firm texture when bitten. For softer risotto, you can continue to add broth and cook longer if desired.
- Store this risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- We recommend reheating over the stove. Add the desired amount of risotto to a small pan and add a few spoonfuls of broth. Warm on medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly.
Love the recipe! Also appreciate the FAQ and the pairing suggestions. Keep up the good work.