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If you loved my French Onion Pasta it’s a guarantee you’ll love this One-Pan French Onion Orzo, too! Inspired by the classic French Onion Soup, this dish is rich, creamy, and loaded with jammy caramelized onions and shredded gruyere cheese.
This recipe begins by cooking down yellow onions and caramelizing them for at least 20 minutes. And while this may take a while to achieve it adds the most delicious depth of sweet and savoury flavour to this dish and I promise, it’s worth it!
What is Orzo
Orzo is a form of short-cut pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. Orzo is traditionally made from flour, but it can also be made of whole grain and is often made with semolina flour. You’ll find orzo is a variety of soup recipes.
French Onion Orzo at a glance
Taste: So comforting! The caramelized onions add such an incredible depth of flavour to this recipe.
Time: About 35 minutes. Keep in mind the majority of this time the onions are caramelizing.
Effort: Minimal effort here! The hardest part will be slicing up those onions.
Difficulty: ANYONE can make this One-Pan French Onion Orzo recipe, its simple, quick, and the best part is, that you only have one pot to clean at the end.
Let’s stay connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest! Also, if you do make this recipe (or any recipe of mine for that matter) be sure to tag #sammymontgoms so I can see your re-creations!
Looking for more pasta recipes?
I got you! Check out all of my Pasta Recipes right here on my blog! A few personal favs are:
- Spicy Shrimp Scampi
- Spicy Pasta Alla Vodka with Pesto
- Spicy Peanut Noodles
- Mushroom & Boursin Pasta
- Creamy Lemon & Spinach Tortellini
- French Onion Pasta
- Homemade Sunday Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make my One-Pan French Onion Orzo. For the exact detailed measurements and ingredients, scroll to the bottom of this page to review my recipe card.
- olive oil
- orzo
- yellow onions
- garlic cloves
- balsamic vinegar
- worcestershire
- beef broth
- heavy cream
- gruyere cheese
- fresh thyme
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
Watch the recipe video
Watch the full recipe on Instagram
Storing & reheating
Have leftovers? Lucky you. Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply microwave for 30-50 seconds or add to a shallow pan and let simmer on your stove for 2-3 minutes. To thin the sauce, add a tablespoon or so of heavy cream or beef stock.
Substitutions & FAQ’s
What other types of pasta work well in this recipe?
Something small! Macaroni or ditali would work great.
What protein would pair well with this recipe?
Grilled chicken, shrimp or steak all pair really well with this recipe.
Did you like this recipe?
If you enjoyed this One-Pan French Onion Orzo Soup please consider leaving me a 5 star rating and review in my recipe card provided below, it means so very much to me!
One-Pan French Onion Orzo
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1½ cups orzo, uncooked
- 6 small yellow onions, sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp worcestershire
- 2½ cups beef broth, salted
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1½ tbsp fresh thyme, chopped fine
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the onions.Slice into similar sized pieces and set aside.
- To a large frying pan set to low/medium heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the onions and let sauté for 20-25 minutes, stirring often until they are caramelized and rich in color.Sammy's tip: if the onions absorb all of the liquid and appear to be sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a tsp of water to deglaze the pan and continue cooking. Repeat if necessary.
- Once the onions are nearly done, add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the fresh thyme and then deglaze with the balsamic vinegar and worcestershire.Let simmer for another minute or so.
- Add the orzo and let it slightly toast in the pan for a minute.
- Add the beef broth, cover, and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until the broth is almost absorbed and the orzo is cooked.
- Remove from heat and add the heavy cream and gruyere cheese and gently mix to combine until well incorporated and creamy.
- Taste here to season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Dish up right away and top with fresh cracked pepper.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Question! So I’m looking at this recipe & your chicken thigh french onion orzo….. So similar it’s basically the gruyere that’s missing from the chicken thigh french onion orzo… If I were going to add gruyere to it, would you suggest adding it before baking or after?
Hi Miranda, I would add the gruyere after its baked, and toss it in just before serving! Hope this helps! xo