Description
Simple and delicious Cheesy Orzo comes together in 20 minutes, uses just a few ingredients, and tastes amazing with any protein.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups orzo
- 1 – 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese (microbial rennet)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil Orzo: Add 3 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth to a medium-saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Add 1 ½ cups orzo and let simmer, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until cooked al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain and return orzo to the pan but remove from heat.
- Combine: Add 1 – 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Gently stir to combine. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water to thin out and make the consistency more creamy.
- Adjust + Serve: Taste and add any additional salt, pepper or lemon zest. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Use chicken broth for best flavor results. The lemon zest adds acidity to amplify the taste. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 218 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 530 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
Keywords: cheesy orzo, side dish, creamy pasta, American cuisine