This one pot cheesy orzo with tomatoes might just be the easiest recipe ever - but certainly doesn't lack flavor. Perfectly cooked orzo loaded with parmesan cheese and delicious bursting cherry tomatoes.
INGREDIENT NOTES:
- Orzo: Orzo is so underrated and under appreciated! You could use whole grain if you'd like here. You could also use a mixture of rice and orzo if that's what you have.
- Cherry tomatoes: The cherry tomatoes cook slowly with the orzo and ultimately burst and are just simply delicious.
- Parmesan cheese: Don't skimp on the cheese - it helps create the creaminess and of course is just delicious. You could swap Pecorino Romano. Grated incorporates the best.
- Onion & garlic: I'm a big onion and garlic girl, they're necessary in almost every recipe that calls for them. This recipe calls for ½ an onion and 4 cloves of garlic. I would recommend sticking to that, but you could minimize the amount of garlic if necessary for your preference.
- Fresh parsley: Always need to top off a carby dish with some fresh herbs. Parsley works wonderfully here.
- Water/vegetable broth: A combination of water and vegetable broth produced my favorite result, but you could do 100% water or 100% vegetable broth and it would still be great! You could also sub chicken broth.
- Dried herbs: Thyme and oregano are my favorite for this recipe, but it's relatively flexible. Basil and rosemary would also work. Rosemary is rather strong though, so I would start off with a pinch and work your way up if more is needed.
- Chili flakes: I love the low-key kick that chili flakes bring to this recipe, but if you don't like spice at all, you can skip this ingredient (or just add less!).
HOW TO MAKE IT CHEESY ORZO:
The steps in this recipe are so crazy simple you'll think I'm kidding.
In a heavy-bottom pot on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Then add in the orzo and toast it for about 5 minutes.
Once toasty, simply add in the rest of the ingredients except for the cheese and fresh parsley, give it a good stir. Let it come up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes until the orzo is cooked through. It will look a little wet still, this is good. Stir in the cheese and parsley, and serve immediately. That's it!
HOW TO STORE IT & HOW LONG IT LASTS:
This recipe for one pot cheesy orzo with tomatoes really makes great leftovers. What you don't scarf down in the first sitting, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Simply reheat in the microwave as needed.
MORE WEEKNIGHT MEALS:
One Pot Cheesy Orzo with Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups orzo
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a heavy-bottom pot on medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes, until the onion begins to get transparent and both are fragrant. Add in the orzo and let it get a little toasty, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the water, vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, chili flakes, cherry tomatoes, salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Bring it up to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- The consistency should still be a little wet - add in the parmesan cheese and parsley stir to combine. Serve immediately!
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