This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo is a quick and easy one-pot side dish that goes well with just about anything. It’s made with orzo pasta, fresh spinach, garlic, and Parmesan cheese and finished with a little splash of cream.
While orzo may be shaped to look like rice, it is actually a form of short-cut pasta that is traditionally made from white flour or semolina. You’ll often find it in soups, casseroles, salads or in side dishes like this Parmesan Garlic Orzo.
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Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo
This creamy Orzo pasta side dish is a one-pot recipe that can be served alongside just about anything. It's filled with spinach, Parmesan cheese, and garlic and is incredibly easy to make.
Orzo is often confused with rice because it is cooked almost identically and looks very similar. Just like with rice, orzo can be added to soups to cook or simmered and fluffed… you can even make risotto with it!
We love enjoying this recipe with anything from a grilled chicken breast or pork tenderloin to a simple Teriyaki Glazed Salmon. Yum! If you're looking for more orzo recipes, be sure to try our Lemon Orzo, Tuscan Orzo, or Orzo Soup.
Garlic Parmesan Orzo Ingredients
- Butter - salted butter works great, but you can substitute unsalted if you want to watch your sodium intake.
- Garlic - freshly minced garlic adds great flavor.
- Chicken Broth - this gives the finished orzo so much more flavor than if you were to cook in water. If you want to make this vegetarian, you can substitute vegetable broth.
- Spinach - for the best flavor, use fresh spinach rather than frozen.
- Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated or shredded works best.
- Salt - we like sea salt.
- Orzo - you can find orzo pasta in the pasta section of most grocery stores.
- Heavy Cream - If you want this to be extra creamy, add heavy cream after it has finished cooking. This is completely optional.
- Parsley - fresh chopped parsley adds a great fresh finishing flavor and a burst of color.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Orzo
- Saute ingredients. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Once melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until garlic is fragrant and lightly golden brown. Add the chicken broth, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt, and orzo pasta, stir lightly, and cover with a lid.
- Simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook the pasta at a low simmer, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Cook the orzo until the cheese is melted, there is no more liquid and the pasta has cooked to al dente or about 8-9 minutes.
- Let sit. Remove from heat and stir in the cream (if desired), then cover with a lid for 2-3 more minutes. This will allow the pasta to soak up the rest of the liquid.
- Serve. To finish, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh minced parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!
Garlic Parmesan Orzo Recipe Variations
Here are a few easy ways that you can switch up this Orzo side dish recipe:
- Sun-Dried Tomato Garlic Parmesan Orzo: Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the cooked orzo.
- Mushroom Garlic Parmesan Orzo: Sauté sliced mushrooms with minced garlic until golden brown, then mix with cooked orzo and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Broccoli Garlic Parmesan Orzo: Steam or blanch broccoli florets until crisp tender, then toss with cooked orzo and minced garlic. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and a splash of chicken broth or white wine.
- Bacon Garlic Parmesan Orzo: Cook bacon until crispy, then crumble it and set aside. Sauté minced garlic in the rendered bacon fat, then mix with the rest. Stir in the crumbled bacon just before serving.
- Artichoke Garlic Parmesan Orzo: Add chopped marinated artichoke hearts to the cooked orzo.
- Pesto Garlic Parmesan Orzo: Stir in a spoonful of your favorite store-bought or homemade pesto to the cooked orzo along with minced garlic and grated Parmesan cheese. The pesto adds a vibrant herbaceous flavor that complements the garlic and Parmesan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orzo may look like rice, but it’s actually pasta. It has the most amazing chewy texture and is great for making pasta side dishes and cold salads.
Nope - orzo is rice shaped pasta made with wheat flour. It is not gluten free, however you could easily substitute a gluten free option. Gluten free pasta would work great in this recipe!
Orzo recipes are so versatile! This really can be just a starting point for you to add a whole array of different veggies, meats and seasoning. Here are some of our suggestions:
Broccoli
Peas
Sautéed mushrooms
Cherry tomatoes
Parmesan Chicken
Bacon
Italian sausage
Red pepper flakes
Dried oregano
Lemon zest
Fresh basil or a dollop of Pesto
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat either in the microwave or in a pot over medium low heat. If you do the stovetop method, it’s a good idea to add a splash of water, cream or broth before you reheat.
Garlic Parmesan Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter can substitute olive oil
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Garlic minced
- 2 ⅔ cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Spinach fresh, chopped into ½" slices
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 16 oz Orzo Pasta
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream optional
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley fresh chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Once melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until garlic is fragrant and lightly golden brown. Add the chicken broth, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt and orzo pasta, stir lightly and cover with a lid.
- Reduce heat to low and cook the pasta at a low simmer, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Cook the orzo until the cheese is melted, there is no more liquid and the pasta has cooked to al dente, or about 8-9 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cream (if desired), then cover with a lid for 2-3 more minutes. This will allow the pasta to soak up the rest of the liquid. To finish, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh minced parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Side Dishes
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Rice Pilaf
- Coconut Rice
- Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes
- Spanish Rice
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
- Lemon Herb Rice
- Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes
- More Rice Recipes
- More Potato Recipes
- Veggie Recipes
This Garlic Parmesan Orzo is a deliciously quick and easy side dish. It's made with orzo pasta, spinach, garlic, and Parmesan cheese and can be ready in just about 20 minutes.
Lee Warburton
I made this as a meal prep for the week. Followed the recipe but cooked a pound of shrimp in the garlic and butter and added some crushed red pepper flakes first, then added it back in. Came out great. Also added some broccoli.
Jill Baird
Hooray, So happy to hear!
Ali
I had to add an additional cup of chicken broth but otherwise good recipe
Diana
What a perfect comfort food recipe! My family loved it!
Sam
This orzo was so good! Garlic and parmesan are the best together!
Caroline
This is delicious! Made it for the second time tonight. It would be way to much for 3 so I cut the recipe in half - decided to after the spinach was cut up so still used most of it. It had to sit a few minutes while the chicken finished cooking so used a splash of milk just before serving!
Thanks for a easy, tasty side dish!
Jen
I made this w/ a few variations. I halved the recipe since I was using it as a side dish. I sautéed the rice a little before adding broth and also used a bit extra broth and added peas at the end. It was great and all gone. Next time will make a whole recipe!
Andrea
Nowhere near enough liquid or time to cook the pasta. I had to add almost 2 additional cups of broth and it easily took 20+ minutes. The flavor was fine, but after adjusting the liquid by that much I had to improvise of the spices to the point where this recipe is just kinda pointless.
The Carefree Kitchen
Shoot, Sorry yours didn't turn out how you were hoping. I went back to the drawing board, added more liquid and a splash of cream at the end. Thanks for the feedback.
Elena
I agree. I've made it 3 times and each time I have to adjust so I basically ended up with my own recipe. I do like the flavor of garlic and parmesan though. So i'll keep trying or will have to find something similar.
Tasha
Tasty side dish! I did find that it required more liquid to thoroughly cook the orzo which also required more of the other ingredients to sustain the recipe. It also needed cream but i didn’t have any so I substituted with Alfredo sauce. Would make again.
The Carefree Kitchen
I love the idea of alfredo sauce, sounds amazing!
The Carefree Kitchen
I updated the recipe to include more liquid. Thanks for the feedback!
Ann Gorski
I used broccoli cut into small florets instead of spinach. I also needed at least 3/4 cup more liquid. I used about 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup heavy cream. I will definitely make this again! I loved the garlic flavor.
The Carefree Kitchen
Thanks for the feedback, I updated the recipe.
Sonia
Has anyone tried this cold as a pasta salad?
Claire
Pasta turned out with a “sticky” texture. Highly recommend adding a splash of cream.