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One Pot Tomato Orzo is about to be your new weeknight staple. Warm, comforting, flavourful, and ready in 20 minutes.
Orzo is an ingredient I cook with frequently, as you can see from many of my recipes here: French Onion Orzo, Cacio e Peppe Orzo, Green Goddess Chicken & Orzo Soup, Lemon & Boursin Orzo Bake or French Onion Chicken & Orzo. It’s an ingredient that I find very versatile. Use it to make a full meal, or serve it as the perfect simple side dish. When orzo is cooked, it becomes tender while still holding its shape, making it the perfect pasta variety for many recipes.
Tomato Orzo at a glance
Taste: warm, cozy, comforting and incredibly flavourful.
Time: this one shouldn’t take you longer than 20 minutes.
Effort: minimal effort here! The hardest part will stirring the orzo every few minutes.
One Pan: made in one pan, making it the perfect weeknight meal.
What is Orzo?
Also known as risoni, is a form of short-cut pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. Traditionally made with flour, but can also be made of whole grain.
Tomato Orzo ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Although I will share the exact detailed measurements and ingredients at the bottom of this page in the recipe card.
- olive oil
- butter
- chicken broth
- heavy cream
- tomatoes
- orzo
- garlic cloves
- parmigiano reggiano
Want more easy dinner recipes?
Down below I will share a few personal easy dinners favourites:
- Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes
- Spicy Shrimp Scampi
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Big Mac Salad
- Easy Chicken Piccata
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Beef & Broccoli
- Creamy Lemon & Spinach Tortellini
Tomato Orzo substitutions & FAQ’s
Would a different type of pasta in this recipe work?
Smaller shaped pasta such as lancette, ditalini, pastina or even smaller macaroni would work. Keep in mind, the cook time will vary depending on the size of pasta.
Do I need to add cream?
Though it adds a creaminess to the dish, it’s not necessay.
My pasta is still hard, what should I do?
Simply add another 1/2 cup of broth and allow the pasta to continue cooking, allowing the broth to slowly absorb.
Can this recipe be made vegetarian?
You bet. In fact, I often swap out the chicken broth, and replace with vegetable broth.
Did you like this recipe?
If you enjoyed my Tomato Orzo recipe, please consider leaving me a 5 star rating and review in my recipe card provided below, it means so very much to me!
Tomato Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2½-3 cups chicken broth, salted, or as needed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 can tomatoes (398mL), passata or crushed
- 1½ cups orzo, uncooked
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/8 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 3 leaves fresh basil, chopped, to garnish
- parmigiano reggiano, grated, to garnish
Instructions
- Set a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Next, add the garlic and cook for a minute, just until fragrant.
- Add the uncooked orzo and allow it to toast for a minute or two, stirring occasionally.
- Next, add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, and onion powder. Stir to combine.
- Add the can of tomatoes, and gently mix into the orzo.
- Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and reduce the heat to a light simmer.
- Stirring often, simmer the orzo until the majority of broth has been absorbed.
- Once the majority of broth has been absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of chicken broth and follow the same steps until all of the broth has been used and the orzo is fully cooked.Sammy tips: Only add 1/2 cup of broth at a time. Be sure to cook the orzo slow, but ensure it's simmering at a low/medium heat. This will ensure the orzo cooks evenly at a proper pace. Be sure to stir the orzo often to avoid it from sticking the bottom of the pan.
- Once the orzo is cooked and all the broth has been absorbed, taste to see if you want to add any additional salt.
- Remove from the heat, add the butter and heavy cream.Stir to combine.
- Serve right away, and garnish with fresh basil, freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Let’s stay connected!
Keep in touch with me and my recipes 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 recreations!
