This is something my son even enjoys making.

Parmesan Garlic Orzo

orzo pasta

butter

garlic

Parmesan cheese

milk

parsley

salt and ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.


Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic in melted butter until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir orzo into garlic mixture and mix in Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley, salt, and black pepper.


Hi. I am the owner of this recipe and really wanted to measure out the ingredients. I ended up using 2 1/2 cups orzo, uncooked, 3 Tablespoons butter, fresh parsley (try basil if you like also) 3 tablespoons garlic (because I love garlic but adjust to your liking) 3-4 tablespoons milk and about 1/3 cup parmesan. Hope this helps out some. I was never one to really measure.

This is a great little side dish that could go with virtually any meal.  I used half the amount of garlic because my husband doesn’t like strong garlic flavor, and it was still very good.

YUM! I used a bit more milk than called for b/c I wanted it creamier and less garlic just because I didn't want it to be too overpowering. This made a great side dish to our pork cutlets. I will be making this one again! Thanks for sharing. :)

This is a great recipe, but I made a few changes. I used about 1 Tblsp of dried parsley since I didn't have fresh.  I added 1/3 cup parm cheese since we like it cheesy and when I boiled the orzo I added half a cup of chicken stock for flavor. At the end I zested a lemon and juiced half and added it. It came out amazing! :-) very happy. Will make again!

I love this! I added my own twist. I sauteed onions in butter, then added the garlic, parm. cheese and milk and I tossed in some peas that I had in the freezer.

This recipe is delicious even though I alter the method somewhat. I love the look browning the orzo gives the final dish so I start with a couple tablespoons of butter in the pan and toss in the orzo and stir it around until some of the grains are slightly golden. I then toss in the garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring it around in the pan. Next I add the water (or some chicken broth if I have some in the refrigerator) to the pan, using only about a cup plus a splash. Close the lid and simmer until al dente. The pasta will absorb all the liquid with no need to drain. Each brand of pasta is different but I like to use the blue box variety and nine minutes is al dente and not starchy at all. So watch your pasta closely. Finish off by adding the milk (or cream) and freshly grated parmesan. I love the splash of color the chopped parsley gives this dish. Delicious simple side dish!

FIRST NOTE: there is a review correction from the submitter of this recipe.  She said that the garlic should be 2 teaspoons NOT 2 TB. ~ My DH and I loved this dish.  I've tried a few orzo dishes, that we liked, but this, hands down, has been our favorite.  I did not measure the milk, I just added it until it had the consistency I was looking for.  It paired very nicely with 'Simple Slow Roast Chicken' from AR and a tossed salad.  Thanks leogrl, for the recipe and your correction.

when I made this I just eyeballed the butter (country crock margerine)a big heaping tablespoon and I used 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (comes in a jar in liquid you store in the frig its the best without all the hassel). I also used a half cup of parmesan cheese (not fresh the kroger brand in the round plastic container and it still pulled in strings like fresh cheese)as well as a heaping tablespoon of dried parsley flakes (kroger brand) and a half a cup of vit D milk and it turned out fantastic!!! The reason I am writing this is just to say you dont have to go the expensive route to still get a great taste and I had all of these things in the house and didnt have to buy anything speacial this was a perfect size side dish for my 10 year old daughter and I. I served this with one large chicken breast cut in half and pounded coated with flower egg and galic and cheese croutons crushed (kroger brand) fried in the skillet with extra virgin olive oil (some things have to be the good stuff lol) would definately recamend this for a fast cheap and tasty side!!

This recipe is really yummy and easy. I have made it with the garlic and without, and I like it both ways. Now that I have made it a few times I plan to switch it up a little and add veggies or even some shredded chicken to the orzo. Great recipe and very easy!

Would be willing to try again with fresh parsley but my family wasn't overly excited with this dish. My four year old said, "Mom, this isn't very good."

This is a well-liked recipe in my home, even my two picky eaters (who've told me it tastes like mac &amp; cheese) love this dish.  I've made this recipe with both the 1/4 cup of butter, and with only 2 Tablespoons.  Both are equally delicious, we just add more milk (1/4 cup up to 1/3 cup) if using less butter so that it doesn't stick together so much.  Like another reviewer mentioned, I also add in more Parmesan (about 1/3 cup) because we love cheese!  Be sure to use fresh Parmesan for this, the stuff that comes in a can just isn't the same quality!  (And just a little time-saving tip - after buying a big wedge of Parmesan cheese, I bring it home and grate it all up and then freeze it.  It won't freeze together, so you can just scoop out what you need.  This way, you have fresh good-quality Parmesan with the convenience of canned.)  While I definitely prefer the fresh ingredients, if I find myself in a time-crunch I will substitute 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic and 1 teaspoon of dried parsley with great results.  Oh, and I also leave out most of the pepper, my girls wouldn't eat it otherwise!  Great recipe, makes for a quick and delicious side dish!

A lot of bang for your buck on this one.  Packed with creamy, buttery, Parmesan-y flavor and couldn't be easier to prepare. Not that it makes a huge difference, but I chose to use half-and-half (and might have even used heavy cream if I had some open) rather than the milk.  This is an ideal side dish for practically any meat - beef, veal, chicken, pork - I can think of.

Wow! Didn't realize how much buttery this really was for such small amount of orzo. Next time will make appropriate adjustments. ...kind of gross. Even my husband mentioned how much greasy this side dish tasted...and he LOVES butter.

This was delicious.  Made it almost exactly as written except that I added fresh basil instead of parsley.  Also added some garlic salt.  Everyone loved it!

Very good and I added asparagus and red peppers when doing the butter and garlic step.

This was a quick, easy side that reheats well as a leftover.  My garden parsley is frozen here this time of year so for color I added a bag  of frozen green peas the last minute of the pasta cooking.  Nice color and taste but I would have given it 5 stars even without the peas!

Just made this and I cant stop tasting it!! I hope I can leave enough for dinner! I did add a bit more milk to make it more creamy. So easy!

I made this two nights ago. My local grocery store didn't carry orzo so I used linguine noodles. I also added chicken to the dish. I put about half a cup of milk to make it creamier. It was soooooooo delicious!!! I will definitely be making this again in the future (:

This was very delicious. Made  it as a side dish for Sunday's meatloaf dinner. My son came over for dinner and really enjoyed it, as well as my hubby. (whose dad was a chef and it kinda picky about bland foods)  I doubled this recipe and we had it again the next night. Re-heated very easilly in the microwave. I will make this again.

Yuck, this was way too bland for my family.  I'm not even sure what I would have done to it to make it taste better.

This is a great basic recipe and my daughter loved it but for me it just seemed to be missing something. It was a little bland. Next time, I'll add some more herbs to try and give it more flavour.

Added peas to it, loved it with and without! Super easy and was a great compliment to  the blackened chicken, also from this site, that i made.

Absolutely delicious! Added more garlic as we are garlic lovers.

Pretty good! Make sure not to brown the garlic too much otherwise it would definitely ruin the taste. Thanks for this recipe!

A new family favorite pasta side dish. I have one question though. I assumed that 2 teaspoons of "minced garlic" referred to bottled minced garlic, not minced fresh cloves. Is that correct? As I prepared it, the garlic flavor was too intense, so I'd want to cut back next time. Otherwise great comfort food, even for a slightly picky eater, and super easy.

I loved this orzo dish, but sadly the others did not. I made it by the recipe, but probably added a little more cheese.

This was a good side dish, and really would work well with other pastas as well.  I did use half and half instead of milk, because that's my preference.  Thanks for the recipe!

.  We sautéed shrimp with the garlic and then added orzo.  We had it as main dish rather than side dish.  It was great!! Next time I may add some Cajun seasoning.

My family loves this side dish.  I usually serve it aside a nice juicy steak.

Everyone loved it! That one cup of orzo fed five of us and we had plenty left over for seconds.  Great garlic-y taste and very easy to make.

This is so easy to make and tastes fantastic.  Everyone raves about it when I make it.

This was very good, but next time I would make a few changes.  I wouldn't add as much milk at the end, I would use about 1 tbsp, and instead of adding the parmesan into the hot orzo, I would put it on top of the individual servings, because it melted into the orzo in clumps instead of distributing evenly.  I actually used shredded Asiago, as that's what I usually have, maybe I was supposed to use a grated cheese instead of a shredded, the recipe didn't really indicate which one to use.  I also used twice as much parsley, just because I really love parsley, but it's not necessary. But I would like to make it again, and probably will.

I offered to make dinner tonight (wife readily agreed) and decided to pair my marinated and breaded chicken tenders with orzo. But I wanted something better than plain orzo, yet simple and tasty.  This recipe was certainly simple enough, but both my wife and I were exceptionally pleased with the flavor.  This one is a "keeper" in our favorites cookbook!!

If you're using salted butter there's no need to add more salt (parm is very salty already). I used dried  good quality parsley and eyed it. I prepped the butter and 2 cloves fresh minced garlic in the same pot I made the orzo in while it was draining, added the garlic after the butter was well broken and simmered for a few minutes before adding the cheese and milk. Great mild flavor. I tossed mine with sweet peas and it's fabulous. Served with lemon oregano roasted chicken thighs. Yum!

I used cream instead of milk!!! Cause thats all i had!! Super fabulous recipe! I may have added more cheese as well!!! Oooopsy!! Great recipe! Quick too! Thanks for it!

Made as written, very nice dish. Will make again.

A family favorite, I’ve been making this as written, for years.

Definitely will be making this again.  After reading other reviews, I cut the butter in half and sautéed onion in it first.  Then added garlic and sautéed for about half a minute until it was fragrant.  Recipe says sauté garlic 5 minutes until brown......that’s way too long.  Browned garlic is burnt garlic and tastes awful.  I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used dried and it was fine.  I used whole milk and had to keep adding more as the orzo was drying out while waiting for the rest of the meal to be ready to eat.  I’m looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!

I love this recipe.  It's great as a side dish or stand alone.  I also have added some sauteed chicken or loose sausage to make it a great meal.  Thanks for sharing!

This turned out good.  Had to use dry parsley b/c that is all I had on hand.  Used 3 cloves of garlic and about half the butter called for.  My husband even liked it and he doesn't like rice type things which this is more like than an actual pasta.

Delish! It was a hit with the family. I added just a bit more garlic, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.

I forgot to add milk, but the kids loved it anyway…even though I added spinach and peas to it.
This dish held well for half an hour in the warming drawer.

I make this quite often,  sides well with Chicken, or stands alone with a salad and crusty bread. Thanks for the great recipe. I don't change it at all, but I don't use exact measurements.

One of our family's favorite.  My daughter calls it "Adult Mac &amp; Cheese."

Made this last minute with all ingredients on hand and loved it. will make again.

I was looking for an easy side to serve with Italian sausage and I had orzo in the house. Delicious

Delicious! Mine came out a bit greasy, but I guess it's to be expected because of the amount of butter. I used freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and used unsweetened almond milk because that's what I do. Next time I might reduce the butter, use some olive oil, and reduce the cheese a little bit to make it "healthier".  I can see how the dish can be too powerful on its own - probably should be eaten with a nice chicken dish and a great glass of wine.

I made this dish with a few adjustments... I added 1/2 pound fresh large shrimp, 1/3 cup lump crab meat to the butter (added a slither more butter) and fresh minced garlic and sauted it.  I also seasoned the shrimp with Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic seasoning and pepper.  I squeezed a fresh lemon over it while sauteing it.    Then I added my orzo.  Stirred over low heat.  Then added the milk and parmesan cheese.  Stirred again over low heat until well blended and the cheese was melted.  It was absolutely delicious!

This is a keeper.  Absolutely delicious, enjoyed by everyone even grandchildren.

Delicious. Everyone I have made this dish for loves it!

Fantastic!!  A keeper.  I added some cooked shrimp to it.

I liked it but would like to cut down on the butter. I will be making it again.

Good. Recipe didnt specify grated or shredded parmesan.. all I had was grated.  I would use less next time; only because it was too salty.

Easy and very tasty recipe, although I reduced the butter by 1 tbs.  Thanks!

Excellent. And I used the cheap green jar grated stuff which I know is a sin.

My husband and I enjoyed this dish paired with grilled salmon and roasted Brussels Sprouts.  Made enough for an encore with baked chicken two nights later.  A good everyday recipe instead of potatoes!

Easy to make and absolutely delicious. My family loves it.

It was good the first night and better as left overs

So delicious! Everyone loves when I make this. Thank you for the recipe.

My boys love this and beg for it. I make it gladly as it's not often they all agree on something they love!

This was creamy and delicious.  Definitely cut the butter - not more than a Tbsp. is needed. To save on cleaning a pot, I sauteed the garlic, then added the orzo, and let it toast a bit, then added the water. To add flavor, I put a shake of chicken-flavored soup mix in with the water. My kids gobbled this up.

This was a relatively simple side dish that amazed the family.  The parents are first-time tasters of orzo, so this gave them a nice starting place.  We all loved the taste, and it is inspiring us to modify by adding our favorite vegetables.

This is a great side dish! We made it to accompany grilled salmon. It was a bit flat for our liking, so I added 2 tsp of white wine vinegar (any vinegar or even lemon juice would probably do the trick too). I will make again with my minor adjustment.

Whole family loved it. I used 2 tsp of garlic and just added a little extra milk and cheese at the end to make it a little creamier

Quick and easy. I used what I had on hand, so about 1T minced garlic and dried parsley, but still came out great. Making it again!

easy and excellent.  added extra garlic because we love it...great side dish.

I may add an additional teaspoon of Garlic ... but awesome as is.

Loved this recipe!  Will keep this one for sure!

G R E A T !   My whole family loved it and it was ready fast!

This dish is simplicity itself to make, and SOOOO tasty. Thank you, Colleen

Eh. I thought it was too salty and kinda boring. Would need to add some more ingredients to bring flavor to this dish. (And this coming from someone who is happy to eat plain spaghetti noodles with butter or just cheese on bread as a sandwich)

We loved this recipe!!   I'm glad I caught the "two teaspoons" of garlic change, as that was exactly enough for us.   I didn't make any changes, and I will definitely make it again.  Hubby suggested adding minced onion as well,  so might try that next time.

This recipe was great! The family loved it! I added more cheese and some broccoli to it. It was a hit! Thanks for the recipe! :)

i'd reduce the garlic next time but it was a good recipe and quick and easy to make

Big hit with the family! I didn’t have fresh parsley, so I used about a tablespoon (forgot to mention I doubled the recipe). I left the garlic out, but will try it next time. Also added a little half and half instead of milk. Was really creamy, and a delicious side dish for my salmon filets!

This was a little bland, but the basics of this recipe are good, next time I'll try adding some other fresh herbs to add more flavor.

Delicious side dish. I added half the butter and some onion with the garlic. So easy to make and it went perfect with mustard chicken!

Loved this! Super easy side dish. I used half the butter, but burned my garlic. Next time I'll watch it better.

Very simple dish and very tasty.  Great as a side or a quick meal.

Cooked in chicken broth.  Added orzo to sautéed snap peas in an olive oil and basil sauce. this is the one!!

This was deliccious!!! We doubled it and just used a box of orzo.... it was perfect with meatloaf.. I didn't have milk so I used light cream..but will definitely make again!!

I have to say, even with the two tablespoons, with the way it was prepared, again, with the herb and beer braised rabbit, it turned out fantastic.  Good to know, though!!!:)  Thanks!

Made exactly as directed except I cut the butter in half to 2 T. Received rave reviews as it was delicious. Will definitely make again.

Amazing recipe! It came out delicious! :-)

Great base recipe.  I dressed it up because I found it a little bland, but I like bold flavors.  Definite keeper!

Recipe is excellent as presented.  Just don't ocerncook the orzo.

Easy and quick to make! Tasted great. I made with chicken broth instead of milk

Very good. Added a bit more milk and cheese and had some scallions that I added as well.

Simple recipe that everyone loved.  This is definitely going on our family's regular rotation!

Delicious! I used this as a vehicle for shrimp and scallops. I sauteed shrimp and scallops in lemon infused olive oil with some salt and

parmesan garlic orzo

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Cost: $5.48 /serving

Author : Colleen Volcjak

Ingredients

Instructions

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