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From 'risotto' to salads, 14 orzo recipes you need to try now

This versatile short-cut pasta is often used in place of rice and is one of our favourite shapes, often used in risotto's, stews and salads.

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best orzo recipes

We've never met an orzo dish we didn't like and this versatile short-cut pasta is one of our favourites shapes to cook with.

It's shaped to resemble a large grain of rice, and is often used in place of rice in many dishes such as risotto (or orzotto we like to call it), hearty stews and fresh and vibrant salads.

It cooks quickly and benefits from being cooked in a broth to absorb all the lovely flavours of the dish. If you stir frequently you also get a lovely creamy texture, somewhat similar to what you'd get with risotto rice, too.

Below are our favourite orzo recipes to make now.

1

Herby Tomato & Orzo Salad

herby tomato and orzo salad
David Loftus

This beautiful dish makes the most of in season tomatoes and vibrant fennel, producing a dish that is perfect for lunch and dinner and perfect for office lunches the next day.

Recipe: Herby Tomato & Orzo Salad

2

Orzo Salad

orzo salad

Inspired by a Greek salad, this delicious dish only needs 10 mins of cooking time.

Recipe: Orzo Salad

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3

Beetroot and Basil Orzo Traybake

beetroot and basil orzo traybake

The orzo absorbs the beetroots vibrant colour in this striking and flavoursome dish.

Recipe: Beetroot and Basil Orzo Traybake

4

Orzo Paella

orzo paella

By no means traditional, but still very delicious by replacing the rice with orzo pasta. Plus, it's ready in only 20 minutes!

Recipe: Orzo Paella

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5

Speedy Chicken 'Risotto'

speedy chicken risotto

Just like your favourite chicken risotto, but with quick cooking short pasta! Cheesy, creamy and with bursts of sweetness from the peas.

Recipe: Speedy Chicken 'Risotto'

6

One-Pot Roast Chicken Orzo

roast chicken orzo

This is one of our favourite recipes and makes a lovely Sunday lunch. Chopped tarragon is added and gives such a lovely flavour to the overall dish.

Recipe: One-Pot Roast Chicken Orzo

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7

Lamb and Orzo Strew

lamb and orzo stew

lamb is slow cooked until tender and mixed through with orzo, olives and fresh parsley. This is one comforting dish.

Recipe: Lamb and Orzo Strew

8

Orzo Stuffed Courgettes

orzo stuffed courgettes

Tender, stuffed courgettes are filled with an orzo mixture of onion, tomatoes, olives and crumbled with feta cheese on top.

Recipe: Orzo Stuffed Courgettes

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9

Asparagus Orzotto with Watercress Pesto

asparagus orzotto with watercress pesto

Make the most of the wonderful asparagus season with this orzo risotto with a vibrant watercress pesto swirled through at the end.

Recipe: Asparagus Orzotto with Watercress Pesto

10

Preserved Lemon Chicken and Orzo

preserved lemon chicken and orzo

This is a flavour bomb in a dish! Chicken pieces are cooked with orzo, preserved lemon, olives and crumbled feta. Such a delicious meal.

Recipe: Preserved Lemon Chicken and Orzo

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11

Puttanesca Stuffed Aubergines

puttanesca stuffed aubergines

If you're a fan of puttanesca pasta, you'll love these stuffed, jammy aubergines, filled with a puttanesca-inspired mix with orzo.

Recipe: Puttanesca Stuffed Aubergines

12

Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Roasted Carrot Orzo

slow cooked beef brisket with orzo

This Middle-Eastern inspired beef dish is served with a spiced and fragrant orzo with carrots.

Recipe: Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Roasted Carrot Orzo

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13

Crab Orzo n' Cheese

crab orzo and cheese

Tinned crab makes this cheesy dish more affordable and very easy to make.

Recipe: Crab Orzo n' Cheese

14

Greek Lamb with Orzo

greek lamb with orzo

This tomato based chickpea and lamb dish is bulked out with lots of orzo and a crumbling of feta. It's delicious!

Recipe: Greek Lamb with Orzo

Headshot of The Good Housekeeping Cookery Team

An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!). 

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