This is a simple recipe that everyone loves. For a quick Mediterranean macaroni and cheese, omit the basil. Easily doubled, too!
Very good recipe with marvelous flavor. I did note that I needed a 1/2 can more of chicken broth to finish cooking the orzo. Served with Roasted Chicken and a Orange, Walnut, Gorgonzola and Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Citrus Vinaigrette from this site.
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IMO, I didn't think this recipe was anything special. I followed the recipe as stated and even used fresh basil from my garden. I won't make again.
Read MoreVery good recipe with marvelous flavor. I did note that I needed a 1/2 can more of chicken broth to finish cooking the orzo. Served with Roasted Chicken and a Orange, Walnut, Gorgonzola and Mixed Greens Salad with Fresh Citrus Vinaigrette from this site.
Hubby said, "Too much cheese"--yet cleaned his plate. I thought it was SO good, and wished he WOULD have left it on his plate so I could have ate it since I only made enough for two servings. Just delicious.
This is a yummy recipe! My husband was really impressed. However I had two concerns...it only took about 7 minutes before all the liquid was absorbed. Do not leave it unattended on the stove or it might scorch. Also, this must be served immediately or it gets very clumpy and hard to spoon out of the pan. I added a little olive oil and kept the heat on low and it helped this a bit. Overall this is a great side dish and a big hit with the family. I will cook it again soon. Thanks!
easy, pretty, and delicious! i used it as a side for salmon. I also added a chopped tomato and pine nuts after the broth was absorbed. I kept some extra chicken broth heated so that i could mix right before serving (the mix tends to dry out over time... so if you don't serve it right away, it is a good idea to have some extra broth on hand)
I loved this recipe! I made a few changes, but I feel certain, that it would be delicious just as it is written. I used part butter and part olive oil and I sauted minced garlic with the orzo. I then added crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of nutmeg and a good bit of parmesan cheese and ommited the basil. Yummy! I also think that for a really fast, but delicious side dish, I would made the recipe just as written, but instead of fresh basil, I would add a couple TBS of pesto!
Love, love LOVE this recipe!!! I'm so excited to have come across this one. It's such an easy recipe to prepare and the result is a restaurant quality dish that your family and friends will be impressed with. I used freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil and it was heavenly! Such a fantastic flavor! It tasted so good that my husband thought it was complicated and that I'd spent a lot of time on it. So happy to report that wasn't the case! Simple, yet REALLY delicious!! What more could you ask for? Did I already say that I LOVE this recipe???
I served this with Easy Focaccia from this website and a salad, and it was a perfect meal. The only things I added were about 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, because we like the extra tang. I also sprinkled extra parmesan on top and dotted it with butter.
I thought I bought fresh basil at the store this weekend, but somehow it didn't get home with us. So I sprinkled in dried basil instead. My husband really liked it, but I want to try it again with fresh basil. I used this as a side dish.
Easy to prepare and a nice taste. I used a whole box of orzo which was about triple the recipe. I also used the buillion cubes/water instead of the canned broth and less cheese. I liked the taste and it went well with fish or chicken.
Amazing! This dish is always perfect, whatever additions we use, and we've used everything at one time or another: chopped flavored sausage with sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, and corn; steamed asparagus with shallots; roasted chicken with choppsed bacon, and more. We've used it with the additions above as a main dish or without any additions as a side, and it always gets rave reviews. We also like to add garlic & dried basil to the mix, and have used prepared Parmesan rather than fresh, and it still comes out beautifully. Note: Don't skip the browning step-- gives a great "multi-colored" effect along with a nuttier taste. It's an excellent base recipe. Wish I could give it more stars!!
So delicious!!! Double the recipe because its not enough. I mixed 1 boullion cube in 2 cups of boiling water instead of a can of chicken broth. Very Good!!!
Wow. I followed this recipe to the T (which is a bit unusual for me). I really enjoyed the results. I was very easy to make and delicious. I made it with chicken. Thanks.
This was soooo good. As others said, serve it immediately because it will thicken up quickly as it cools. Also, it is a very flavorful side dish so I suggest serving with a basic grilled chicken or fish so the flavors aren’t competing. UPDATE: I make this all the time and was looking for a way to use up the leftovers. I used an ice cream scooper and add some to a bowl cold, then top with hot tomato soup, YUM. Also, for lunch today, I drizzled some cold orzo with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar for a kinda pasta salad and it's delicious.
totally amazing recipe. by accident, I omitted the basil but it came out great anyway. (next time I'll try the basil though. I imagine it'll taste even better). I didn't use canned broth, I just added a cup and a half of water and a bullion cube. It absorbed the liquid pretty quickly - less than 10 minutes. I then sauteed mushrooms and spinach in garlic in separate pan and added it to the orzo. Added parmesan cheese and some garlic powder. I topped it off with some green onion. It looks and tastes awesome! Definitely don't omit the browning step. It brings out a nutty kind of flavor. I might add half romano next time to shake it up a bit. Great recipe. I would definitely make it again.
Needed a side dish at the last minute and saw I had a small amt of orzo. Found this, made it and loved every bite! Thank you! Bella
This recipe offers a great starting point for a one pot meal. Add Sauted Mushrooms after the Orzo is cook and cooked chicken. It is wonderful. I did not have fresh basil in the house last night but I make my own Pesto and freeze in ice cube trays. I just added on ice cube of Pesto at the very end of the Orzo cooking and it was wonderful. No leftovers in this house!
Excellent change of pace for a side dish. I made a few alterations: I sauted pressed garlic (4 cloves - but you just about can't have too much garlic in my family, so use your own judgement) in the butter first, then added the orzo. When the chicken stock came to a boil, I added the basil and let it cook with the liquid. It was a definite hit - but I do like it better with tri-color orzo! added 3/31/05: I have made this several times since my review and just wanted to add that I now make it with cilantro instead of basil.
IMO, I didn't think this recipe was anything special. I followed the recipe as stated and even used fresh basil from my garden. I won't make again.
Wow. Absolutely wonderful. I added a chopped tomato, to go with all that basil. One of my favorite recipes!
This was delicious! I used fresh basil from my garden and freshly grated parmesan cheese. The flavors were fantastic. Originally I was planning on grilling chicken breasts to go with this and broccoli, but my husband stopped at the grocery store and lobster was on sale - so dinner was quickly switched to lobster, spinach salads and this orzo. We couldn't have gotten a better dinner out!
The first words out of my boyfriend's mouth (after he finished chewing of course) was "Oh my God! This is SO good!". Very tasty! We tried it without the basil first, and then with it and decided that the basil definately gives it that extra but subtle "zing". Lesson learned: don't chop your basil until you're ready to use it. I chopped mine about an hour earlier and it got kind of blackish. Still tasted good though. I think the next time I will try it with 1 tb olive oil instead of 2tb butter. But it was a hit!! Thanks!!!
I love this dish! I've tried using orzo in other recipes, but I always come back to this one. Since I never have fresh basil on hand, dried has always suited me just fine. Sometimes I use olive oil to brown the orzo, and it adds a different flavor too. YUMMY!
One of my favorite recipes. Simple to make with a few ingredients, this recipe is perfect side for a week night meal. I saute 1/2 of a chopped onion in the butter before adding the orzo. Garlic is a nice addition as well.
Has anyone considered using this as a cold side dish without the parmesan and with a bit of olive oil and some seasonings? You could add some cooked chicken or shrimp to the mix and really have a complete meal....at lease in my opinion
Excellent flavor! However, you will need more than 14.5 oz of chicken broth. I'm sure I used at least 1/2 cup more than that. Definitely keep an eye on it while cooking and add more broth as needed. Also, if you don't like salty food, be sure to get the low sodium chicken broth.
This is a very good dish. I added a little garlic to the melted butter, otherwise didn't change a thing. It didn't take nearly as long to cook as the recipe states - more like 10 minutes. I'm glad I checked on it because it was starting to dry out! It was a great side dish for salmon.
Unlike many easy recipes with minimal ingredients that end up tasting like something is missing, this one actually tastes amazing which is very rewarding. The prep is very quick and easy since you can grate your cheese and chop the basil while the pasta is cooking. The pasta tastes very creamy and nutty due to the Parmesan cheese and browning of the orzo in butter, and the flavor from the fresh basil adds a nice refreshing finish. The prepared dish has a dense texture yet manages to look light and fluffy on the plate and fork. I followed the recipe exactly and after 20 minutes the pasta absorbed all the broth and was cooked to a perfect consistency, slightly al dente. It surprises me that so many reviewers said that they make this without the basil. The basil is not overpowering at all yet really adds a dimension of flavor and color that easily makes this recipe worthy of 5 stars. Because the dish is so simple, it can be built upon in many ways if you wish. I might try adding some sun-dried tomatoes next time which should pair very well with the basil. You may want to use this as as side dish with meat as a main course, but you must make sure everything else you cook is also high quality or else the orzo with Parmesan and basil will easily steal the spotlight!
Really good! I added about 3/4 lb. of cubed, sauteed chicken breast to make it more of a main dish. My 4 year old gobbled it up as did my parmesan cheese loving husband. Give it a try!
This is a standby side dish at my house, especially during the summer when my basil is growing! Tonight I tossed some chopped cherry tomatoes in after the pasta was cooking, and served it chilled with grilled chicken. It's versatile and a wonderfully different accompaniment (hot or cold) to grilled food in the summer or baked in the winter!
This is like homemade Rice-A-Roni without the rice! We don't like basil so we skipped that, instead added leftover rotisserie chicken. This made it more of a main dish - otherwise would be a good side.
This was so yummy!!! my family loved it! I will have to double the recipe next time to avoid the sad faces when it was all gone :) The only change I made was I added 1/4 cup of half and half at the end because it seemed a little dry. Excellent recipe will be used alot this summer!
This was my first time making Orzo, I followed the recipe to the letter, it is a keeper. The basil really adds a nice touch and the parmesan puts it over the top. I will put this into my monthly rotation. I served this with Italian sausage and peppers and it was a perfect balance of flavors.
Mediterranean Mac and Cheese is a perfect description. My 11 year old daughter made this by herself and it was a great side dish. Yes, it was fairly plain but sometimes that's what you want. I would think there would be lots of ways of changing the flavors in it if you wanted to.
WOW. I love it! This is how Rice a Roni should be, but much better! The flavors of the basil, chicken stock, cheese, and orzo is wonderful. It makes about 4-5 servings. Thank you, I will definitely share this at parties and for our personal meals. A+!
This was fantastic!!! The whole family devoured this! It was a nice and easy side dish for some grilled chicken. This would be great spruced up with some sauteed veggies, but it wonderful as is. Will be adding this to our menu frequently :)
Omg awesome! I followed the recipe, I needed to add a bit more chicken stock to keep from going gummy at the end. I added some cooked mushrooms at the end with the cheese. This is going to be a new side dish weekly at my house. Yummy
Great recipe. I modified it some, I only used 1 tablespoon butter and instead of chicken broth I used vegetable broth, and instead of Parmesan cheese, I used Asiago cheese that I freshly grated using a microplane zester (about 1 cup of cheese). It was DELICIOUS!
I tried orzo for the first time using this recipe and I'm in love with it. I added spinach, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes because I like adding vegetables to any dish. The fresh basil is very crucial to the flavor of the dish, do not omit it if you help it! I would definitely make this on a regular basis from now on.
WONDERFUL! I made this for lunch and it was sooo good, I'm making it again tonight! I didn't have fresh basil so I added a tsp of dried basil halfway during cooking. Shrimp or chicken would be even better served over this! Thanks Dodie! I will make this all the time!
This is a delicious and very easy side dish. We had it with pesto pecan chicken, asparagus and salad. It was wonderful and will be a frequent side dish at our house!
Could this be any easier? Out of necessity I had to make ONE change. I was out of fresh basil, so I substituted fresh baby spinach. I also added halved, fresh red and yellow grape tomatoes after I stirred in the spinach and Parmesan cheese. This will be a 'go to' recipe for sure and the simplicity of it allows for endless modifications to suit everyone's families likes. Thank you for sharing DODIEPAJER!!
My husband rarely has any praise for a recipe other than "it's good," but with this recipe he exclaimed "wow, this is great! If there are leftovers can I take it for lunch tomorrow?" A definite winner in my book! :)
My mom has always made a lamb and orzo dish that the whole family loves. My kids have asked for just the pasta potion of the recipe before and this fits the bill perfectly. I did add a little tomato powder (one of my favorite condiments) to the broth and it was just perfect. This was sooo easy and my family devoured it. Thank you so much for such an easy and delicious recipe!
Delish!! What can I say? Easy and tasted delicious. I LOVE fresh basil! I will make this again.
Terrific Recipe. Added some spinach and drained canned tomatoes at the end of cooking, and some garlic and mushrooms at the beginning. Pretty and added some vegetables to my meal.
Very fresh and very flavorful, went really well with Grilled Shrimp Scampi from this site. Fresh basil is a must. also added 1 clove minced garlic. Easy to put together. Check orzo after 10 to 12 minutes as it may not take the length of time posted in recipe and you don't want it to burn. Mine was done in 12 minutes.
Didn't make this, but I did eat, and wanted to put my 5 star rating on it. Terrific flavor for such a simple recipe. And, what a delicious side for grilled chicken. Really appreciate you sharing this, Dodiepajer.
Hmmm...wasn't too crazy about this one. I left out the basil and even though there was nothing wrong with this as far as taste is concerned...it just didn't do anything for me. My family didn't really comment on it either. I'm not a fan of orzo pasta because I never use it. I think I'll just stick to regular mac and cheese. Thanks anyway.
We love this dish! I've never had to change any quantities and it always comes out perfect. Gotta love that! I've also made this with dried basil (1/2 tsp added while simmering) when I don't have fresh basil on hand. It still comes out pretty good, but this is one of those dishes where the fresh herb makes it perfect, so don't pass on it! Thank you for sharing this great recipe! We've enjoyed it on many occasions and it's one of my favorites. :)
This was very good and very easy!!! The basil gave it a mild pesto flavor. This dish had a very authentic italian flavor. I doubled the recipe exactly, and it worked out fine.This dish is a very nice change from rice.I will definitely be making this quite often.
Very simple. Very good. We did not have enough stock so used water. You will need to check and add water as you cook, because it will stick to the pan and set off the smoke alarm. Don't say I didn't warn you. ;) I used olive oil instead of butter. Okay, okay, I added a smidge of butter. I threw in some minced garlic as well. Dried herbs work fine if that's what you have. I served this with the spinach and parmesan chicken from this site. Thanks for a great recipe!
I loved this! I used veggie broth instead of chicken and dried italian seasoning, because I did not have fresh basil. Was delicious.
Oh my, this was delicious. I used half butter-half olive oil and freshly ground Parmesan with fresh basil and parsley. As others have suggested, I also added 2 cloves of minced garlic at the initial toasting of the orzo step. There are many ways you could play with the flavorings and end up with this beautiful, almost risotto-like texture.
Amazing! Instead of basil I followed another reviewer's suggestion and added half a bag of fresh baby spinach. Be careful as the orzo is quick to absorb the chicken broth. I gradually added a little water while simmering. after I added the cheese I added about 1/4 cup of water to melt the cheese a little. Then I added the fresh baby spinach and stirred it around for approximately 2 minutes until the spinach wilted. I served with Hudson's Baked Tilapia with Dill sauce also from this site (also amazing) and fresh roasted green beans.
Definitely a keeper! I cut down on the cheese (used 1/4c instead of a full 1/2c) and increased the broth a bit. Use fresh basil for the best taste. Great simple recipe for Orzo.
This recipe is fast, easy, and relatively inexpensive! I'd agree that it's more like a side dish...but it depends on the size of the family and what size meals you're used to. Very tasty, I added more freshly grated parmesan than it called for cause I love cheese. I added LOTS of fresh basil (cause I had some I needed to use up) and more fresh diced tomatoes too. It's a very tasty recipe!! Something different for a change.
Excellent. As suggested by others, added a chopped tomato after it had finished cooking.
Amazing! I will be making this again & again! I did need a little more liquid to finish cooking the orzo. I added diced up cooked chicken to make this a quick easy meal to have when I get home late from work.
Good side dish, but I think the basil is a little overpowering, so I will use less next time. Leftovers are very dry though because of the cheese.
This was outstanding! I didn't have any shreaded parmesan or fresh basil on hand so I used a white cheddar and a little more dried basil instead. It turned out great. This is one of those sides that goes with just about anything. My boyfriend loved it and he is tough to impress! Will definitely make again.
mmmm, so tasty. Very refreshing in your mouth. Also tastes good if you add some sundried tomatoes.
This was really good and my whole family loved it. My only complaint would be that it was just a little dry.
This dish is fantastic! even though I used dried basil instead of fresh, and chicken boullion instead of broth. I didn't measure the cheese or basil, I just eyeballed it.
Very easy and flavorful! Perfect along fish or chicken for a quick weeknight meal!
Whoa. This recipe is a keeper. Easy to make in one pot in 30 minutes. So stinkin' easy, yet tastes delicious and fancy! I used cheapo Parmesan cheese and quadrupled the recipe, it was perfect! Next time, gonna add in mushrooms and see if that goes well. Ooohhh, maybe bacon or prosciutto?!? Yummy!!!!
This was so good ,as I did the taste test in the skillet,the idea of eating all, was the first thing that came into my mind. Fortunately ,I emotionally recovered. Thanks
This sounded better than it was. I brought to a party and people liked it though. I was hoping it was going to better. Next time I may add some sauteed garlic and onions to give it a more complex flavor....and possibly some white wine in the broth. I need to experiment. Definitely don't make ahead of time. Serve when ready. It had a very nice creamy texture almost like risotto. It lost that when reheated.
A little bland, after I tasted it made to the recipe I went ahead and added some garlic powder and onion powder. We had steamed broccoli and shredded cheese on the table so my sons added some of each after their test taste and declared it good!
This was just ok for us. We're used to orzo w/sauces of some sort so this was very dry for us. Not bad but not a favorite.
This is a great tasting way to make orzo. Simple too! I didn't have fresh basil so I used dry, but not as much. All of the men(1,5,and 25) in my house loved it!! Thanks!
We loved this simple recipe. I added Parsley and Basil and a couple dashes of garlic powder. I sprinkled with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Served with grilled chicken, garden salad and fresh fruit. Will make again!
I didn't have any fresh basil on hand, so I used 1 t of dried basil. The orzo I used absorbed the liquid in about 10 minutes. Very good with A Good Easy Garlic Chicken also found on this site.
AWESOME!!! I added sauted mushrooms and spinach, but I am sure it is good without that too.
Tasted good but was a little too greasy. Next time I will cook with less butter or try olive oil.
Anything hubby and a friend rave over gets 5 stars, and I loved it too! Friend loved it so much she asked for the recipe - so it is a keeper for the rotation! Served with Grilled Shrimp Scampi and Mango Corn Salsa.
Pretty good! A bit too much basil for my taste, but definitely a good recipe. I think next time I make it, I'll reduce the amount of basil and add a couple cloves of minced garlic. This seems like a recipe you can play with a lot and get really good results.
Very very good. Did not add salt and pepper as it did not need it. Used half butter and half EVOO. Will use less next time. Thanks for sharing
Very easy and tastes good. I added fresh spinach and roasted red peppers. I will add 1/4 cup more or so of broth next time.
This makes an excellent side dish! Very easy and quick. Much like rice-a-roni type dishes, but with a richer flavor. Another thing I love is being able to know exactly what is going into my meal, rather than adding some mystery packet of powder. I will definitely make this again!
This was sooo good! Such a nice change from the normal rice or potatoes side! I followed the directions to a tee!
This was pretty good. I was out of fresh basil so I used dried instead and I think I used just a bit too much. Next time I make this, I'm going to increase the parmesan cheese (my family loves cheese) and cut the basil down by half. Thanks for a great recipie!
I LOVED this! I did not use the basil because I did not think it would go well with my meal. But it was fantastic and FULL of flavor. I will make this again and again.
I loved it but I did not get an enthusiasitc response from the rest of the brood. However, mama knows best and when their taste buds mature they will love it :)
This wasnt as good as i thought it was going to be. It had decent flavor but I thought it needed something more. I made exactly as written. Not sure I'll be making this again.
This recipe is such a refreshing alternative to pasta side dishes! Very simple to prepare, but everyone thought it was a "gourmet" dish. It looks and smells so inviting, and even the picky eaters and kids had second helpings. I used fresh-grated parmagiano reggiano (very flavorful)the first time, which was fabulous, but it's also good with freshly grated parmesan. Thank you for this one - a keeper!
