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20-minute noodles · 20 minutes

One-Pan Lemon-Pepper Orzo “Risotto” with Peas

Orzo simmered in broth like risotto releases its starch in half the time, so you get a creamy, lemony bowl without 25 minutes of stirring.

Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Serves
3
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Orzo is pasta shaped like rice, and if you cook it like rice, it acts like it. Simmered in just enough broth, it gives up its starch and turns creamy, the way risotto does, in about 12 minutes. You stir every couple of minutes so it doesn’t stick, not constantly, which leaves your hands free for zesting the lemon.

Lemon and black pepper keep it from tasting like nursery food. The pepper gets toasted in butter at the start, so it’s warm and fragrant rather than harsh, and frozen peas go in at the end so they stay bright. Parmesan and a final knob of butter make it glossy.

The recipe

One-Pan Lemon-Pepper Orzo “Risotto” with Peas

Prep 5 min · Cook 15 min · Total 20 min · Serves 3

Ingredients

Tap to tick off as you go.

Method

  1. Step 1: Toast the pepper

    Melt 2 tbsp butter in a wide, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper and shallot and cook for 2 minutes, until the shallot softens and the pepper smells toasty.

  2. Step 2: Toast the orzo

    Add the orzo and stir for 1–2 minutes, until a few pieces turn golden and it smells nutty.

  3. Step 3: Simmer in broth

    Pour in 2½ cups of the hot broth and bring to a lively simmer. Cook for 9–10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the orzo is almost tender and the liquid has turned thick and starchy.

  4. Step 4: Add the peas

    Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes more. If the pan looks dry before the orzo is done, add the remaining broth a splash at a time.

  5. Step 5: Finish off the heat

    Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parmesan, the last 1 tbsp butter, the lemon zest and half the juice. It should flow slowly, like risotto; loosen with broth if needed. Taste, adjust with salt and more lemon, and serve with extra pepper.

Good to know

  • Use hot broth. Cold broth stops the simmer every time you add it and adds minutes to the cook.
  • It thickens fast as it stands. Take it off the heat when it’s a little looser than you want it, and serve right away.
  • Taste before salting. Store-bought broth and parmesan can be plenty salty on their own.

Swaps

Butter and parmesan
Make it vegan: olive oil, vegan butter and 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Peas
Chopped asparagus or baby spinach, added at the same point
Orzo
Not gluten-free as written; use gluten-free orzo and check your broth

Questions people ask

Can you make risotto with orzo?

Yes. Orzo isn’t technically risotto, but simmered in broth and stirred occasionally it releases starch and turns just as creamy, in about half the time.

How much liquid do you need for orzo?

About 2½ to 3 cups of broth for 1 cup of orzo when you cook it risotto-style and let it absorb all the liquid.

Is parmesan vegetarian?

True Parmigiano-Reggiano is always made with animal rennet, so it isn’t. Many US parmesan-style cheeses use microbial or vegetable rennet; check the label.

Get the peas, lemon and shallot from a farmer.

This recipe is only as good as what goes in it. Find a farmers market or CSA farm near you, or get a produce box delivered when there’s no market this week.

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