This Broccoli Orzo is a creamy, delicious, one pot meal for an easy dinner with little clean up. It's absolutely full of flavor and great for busy weeknights, ready in just 20 minutes!
Just like my Creamy Garlic Risotto, this is comfort food in a bowl. It's incredibly creamy, filling and just overall delicious. The subtle taste of broccoli with parmesan coated orzo is a tough match to beat.
For more easy weeknight dinner recipes, try my Mushroom Zucchini Pasta, French Onion Pasta, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and Couscous Stuffed Peppers.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's quick and easy and made all in one pot
- This orzo is coated in an amazing creamy parmesan sauce
- Ready in just 20 minutes
Big on Pasta Recipes? Don't forget to try my Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta, Minestrone Soup with Chicken, Shrimp Scampi Recipe with no wine, and Creamy Vegetable Pasta!
Ingredients:
Orzo-While it looks more like rice, it's actually pasta and it is incredibly delicious. When cooked in this recipe, it has a risotto-ish quality.
Broccoli-Fresh broccoli is used for this recipe in a small quantity. I wanted to make this a one pot meal, and I didn't want my cream sauce turning green. I used just enough to get the flavors and textures of the broccoli incorporated into the dish. If you're big on easy broccoli recipes, try this Teriyaki Broccoli and Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
Garlic- A must have in pasta dishes. Use fresh garlic for the best flavor and mince it fine.
Chicken Stock-Used to help flavor and cook the orzo. We're not using water to boil the pasta because it's a one pot recipe, and the chicken stock makes it so much more tasty.
Heavy Cream and Parmesan Cheese- Used to make the broccoli orzo creamy, cheesy and delicious. It is important to shred the parmesan finely and from a block to ensure it melts correctly. Bagged parmesan cheese will not work right in this recipe. I highly recommend using Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese for it's nutty flavors and for the way it melts.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
If you don't care for orzo, you could substitute a small pasta in this recipe, like ditalini.
Want more broccoli? Steam it or bake it on the side and serve with the finished orzo to avoid adding too much to the pot and turning it green.
Don't like broccoli? You can leave it out. Some other delicious additions would be jarred roasted red peppers or baby spinach. However, since these don't need to cook long, add them about 2 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, instead of 6 minutes, like the broccoli would need.
Chicken stock will be the best for flavor, but you can use Chicken broth instead. I do NOT recommend using water. If you are vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock.
Want to add a little heat? Sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Make Broccoli Orzo:
Step 1: Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium low heat on the stovetop. Add in butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt completely. Toss in the minced shallot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 2: Stir in the garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Then, pour in the orzo and toast for 60 seconds. Stir.
Step 3: Pour in ½ cup heavy cream, chicken stock and sprinkle in salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover the pot and cook for 8 minutes.
Step 4: Uncover the pot, stir and add in broccoli. Cover and cook an additional 6 minutes.
Step 5: Uncover and stir well, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the dutch oven.
Step 6: Pour in remaining ¼ cup heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
Step 7: Serve immediately and Enjoy! (Optional): Top with additional parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Expert Tips:
- Cook this one pot meal on Medium Low the whole time for the best results
- I highly recommend using a dutch oven and make sure the lid fits well
- The parmesan cheese needs to be shredded from a block. Do not use bagged cheese in this recipe as it doesn't melt well
Love Comfort Food? Check out this Chicken Dumpling Soup, Lazy Lasagna, Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls and Creamy Sausage Gnocchi.
Recipe FAQs:
Orzo looks like rice, but it is actually a small noodle!
No, it's pasta, not rice, so no rinsing is needed.
This pasta dish can be served by itself or pair it with a protein like Baked Italian Sausage, Chicken Romano or Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken.
Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This won't be as creamy when reheated as it is served fresh, but it is still delicious. Heat in the microwave, oven or on the stovetop in a pot. You can add a tablespoon of chicken stock if you want to make it a little more saucy.
More Weeknight Meals You'll Love:
If you tried this Broccoli Orzo Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Broccoli Orzo
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Broccoli Orzo is a creamy, delicious, one pot meal for an easy dinner with little clean up. It's absolutely full of flavor and great for busy weeknights, ready in just 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 and ⅓ cups of dry orzo pasta
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 and ¼ cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper + additional for serving
- ½ cup of fresh broccoli florets, tore into small pieces
- 1 cup of parmesan cheese from a block (preferably parmigiano reggiano), finely shredded + additional for serving
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium low heat on the stovetop. Add in butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt completely. Toss in the minced shallot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Then, pour in the orzo and toast for 60 seconds. Stir.
- Pour in ½ cup heavy cream, chicken stock and sprinkle in salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover the pot and cook for 8 minutes.
- Uncover pot, stir and add in broccoli. Cover and cook an additional 6 minutes.
- Uncover and stir well, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the dutch oven.
- Pour in remaining ¼ cup heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Serve immediately and Enjoy! (Optional): Top with additional parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Equipment
Notes
- Cook this one pot meal on Medium Low the whole time for the best results
- I highly recommend using a dutch oven and make sure the lid fits well
- The parmesan cheese needs to be shredded from a block. Do not use bagged cheese in this recipe as it doesn't melt well
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Holly
This is so creamy & good. I love how you didn’t add too much broccoli too. Thank you!