One of my best orzo recipes, you can make this easy pasta with orzo, tomatoes, and parmesan in under 20 minutes!
I’m a big fan of cooking with orzo. This small, rice-shaped pasta cooks super fast, which is a lifesaver on busy nights. This recipe is similar to my parmesan buttered noodles, but we’ll add a few fresh ingredients to brighten it up.
Perfect for your main course or served as a side dish, we make it with fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic, and my family can’t get enough of it. I think you will love it, too! For more orzo pasta recipes, see my easy orzo salad!
Key Ingredients
- Pasta: I love orzo for this recipe, but you can use any small dried pasta shape. It’s also delicious when made with pearl couscous or rice!
- Olive oil: The base of our sauce. Use a good-quality olive oil that you enjoy.
- Garlic: I use lots of fresh garlic for this recipe and love it.
- Tomatoes: The star of the show. Fresh tomatoes are best, but you can make this with canned tomatoes if needed. When using canned tomatoes, I like opening a can of whole tomatoes and tearing them into the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: This makes our pasta sauce creamy and delicious. For vegetarian orzo pasta, use vegetarian-friendly parmesan or substitute it with your favorite vegetarian cheese.
- Basil: Fresh basil is best and works so nicely with tomatoes and parmesan. I tear fresh basil leaves into the sauce and serve it with more on top. Other fresh herbs, such as parsley and mint, work too.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make My Favorite Orzo Pasta
Tip 1: Cook your pasta in salted water. This is true for all of our pasta recipes, but since the sauce for this recipe is so simple, you really want to start with well-seasoned pasta for the best results. Use 1 tablespoon of sea salt for 8 cups of water. Expect 8 to 10 minutes, but check the package to see the recommended cooking time, as this varies from brand to brand.
Tip 2: Save some pasta water. Just like making my popular mushroom pasta or fettuccine Alfredo, save some of the hot starchy pasta cooking water before you drain the orzo. You will use it to bring the sauce together later on.
Tip 3: Use one pan for the sauce. To keep the dishes down and make the tastiest sauce, use one big skillet for the sauce. Make sure it’s large enough to toss the cooked orzo into at the end. You’ll make the garlicky tomato sauce first, then toss in the cooked pasta and a bit of that starchy cooking water. The tomatoes cook down and release their juices, which mix with the cheese to create our delicious sauce. I use a similar technique when making these zucchini noodles, too!
Serving Suggestions
This orzo pasta recipe is such a simple and delicious dinner. It’s incredible served as-is, but here are a few of my favorite toppings:
- Tomato Basil Baked Chicken Breasts
- Greek Marinated Chicken Breasts
- Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
- Juicy Homemade Meatballs
- Seared Scallops
- Sautéed Mushrooms or Roasted Mushrooms
- Torn Mozzarella, crumbled feta cheese, or seared halloumi cheese
For something simple on the side, I love sautéed greens or vegetables, like this sautéed spinach with lemon juice, sautéed cabbage, or roasted broccolini. And a light, fresh salad is always a good idea. Toss your favorite greens into a bowl and drizzle over this homemade balsamic vinaigrette, or use my favorite honey mustard dressing.
Easy Orzo Pasta
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We’re in love with this easy orzo recipe. There’s quick cooking orzo, tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and lots of garlic. Get this meal on the table in less than 20 minutes! I also love orzo for pasta salads, see our orzo pasta salad with a lemon dressing, tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
8 ounces dry orzo pasta (226g)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic, 3 to 4 cloves
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (30g)
1 cup basil leaves, torn into pieces (18g)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to the package directions (usually 8 to 10 minutes). Before draining the cooked pasta, reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water (you will use this to make the sauce).
2Add olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a large, deep skillet and place over medium heat.
3When the oil begins to bubble around the garlic, add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese.
4Add 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and cook, stirring often, for one minute. Over the minute, the liquid in the pan should begin to coat the pasta. If it seems dry, add a splash more of the reserved pasta water and cook for a few more seconds.
5Taste for seasoning and adjust with a bit of salt if needed. Serve with extra basil, parmesan, and fresh ground black pepper on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Fresh tomatoes: Use about 12 ounces of tomatoes in this recipe, which is 2 medium or about 15 cherry tomatoes.
- Canned tomatoes: Use diced canned tomatoes or whole canned tomatoes that have been chopped or torn into smaller pieces (my preference).
- Gluten-free: If you are gluten-free, you can substitute with your favorite gluten-free pasta, rice, or zucchini noodles. For our tips on making zucchini noodles, take a look at our zucchini noodles pasta.
- Vegetarian: Parmesan cheese may contain animal rennet, so it’s crucial to check labels before use. Fortunately, several American brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese alternatives. You can also substitute with your favorite vegetarian-friendly cheese.
- Optional add-ins: Consider stirring in a few handfuls of fresh spinach and pitted and halved olives with the tomatoes. For a creamy orzo dish, add a small splash of cream at the end.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Great recipe, I never had any tomatoes so I used mushrooms instead. Came out delicious. I’ll definitely make it again and try it with tomatoes. Thank you.
You are so welcome! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Wow! Such a good and easy recipe! I added another clove of garlic and a red onion. I also used fresh garden cherry tomatoes. Soo soo good! Will definitely make again! Ps: there were no leftovers 😀
Made this last night. Delicious! I was lazy and started the tomatoes, garlic and a very generous amount of olive oil on a med low simmer and added rotissere chicken, while the pasta was cooking. Will definitely make this again!
Yay! Love the addition of rotisserie chicken 🙂
one of my favorite recipes! i make it almost every saturday evening! absolutely delicious! thank you! 🙂
This is the absolute best news. Thank you for coming back!
Delicious. My pasta go to recipe….sooo good. Thank you!
This is one of my favorites. Sometimes I make it with feta cheese instead of parm.
This was so good!!! It was creamy and felt so fancy. It was quick and easy. I added chopped onion and cooked down slightly before adding in the garlic. Thanks so much for the recipe. I will absolutely make this again!
Wonderful side dish. I may add grilled chicken next time for a complete meal. Fresh, easy to prepare and very flavorful.
Thank you for a wonderful side dish! I served this with barbeque chicken and some squash. Just enough flavor to not take over the other flavors. Nice color to the plate.
Love this! I doubled it for a potluck, but hated to take it cuz I wanted to keep it.
I’m hungry but at 11pm in Sunday night, it’s, unfortunately, kinda late to whip this together. 😩 Though I cannot wait to make it tomorrow. It sounds so good! I’ve seen a few similar recipes online but this one seems to have a couple extra touches/ideas that put it at the top, IMHO anyway. And I don’t cook. I assemble. Though this is so approachable and not intimidating, yet it’ll still be a step up for me and impress the old man a little. Very cool! I think we’ll have it chilled since it’s going to be almost 90° again tomorrow and I think that’ll be absolutely perfect. Thank you!
This dish is so delicious! Just made it for the second time & added shrimp from the the air fryer with olive oil, lemon pepper & salt. So many wonderful flavors & textures!
Made tonight using fresh parsley from my garden because I didn’t have fresh basil. It was delicious and simple to prepare while my MahiMahi baked. Will make this again when I have fresh basil.
That’s wonderful! So happy you found our recipe and gave it a try. Thank you for coming back!
Made this pesto pasta recipe tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Such a great “comfort food” recipe. I used cherry & yellow cherry tomatoes from my garden along with fresh basil and lots (more than a 1/2 cup) of freshly grated parmesan cheese!!! It really was good!! Thanks for a great recipe!
How can I make the orzo and tomatoe salad for 8 guests
Hi Loretta, I’d just double all the ingredients in the recipe.
Can this be made ahead of time & served chilled?
Such a good recipe. Instead of chopped tomatoes I added California sun dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil and a red onion! That was chef’s kiss for me. Such a light and fresh salad!
This sounds amazing!
Hi Emma, We usually enjoy this dish warm, but it would definitely work chilled.
This was very good, my family and I loved it
I didn’t have fresh basil, so I just threw in some frozen spinach and sprinkled dried basil on top. It was still pretty good with lots of flavor! I found myself wishing it had more of a creamy white sauce but that’s probably just a personal opinion thing. Next time I might try adding some tomato paste and a little heavy cream. Overall it was a really unique tasting dish that I’m looking forward to making again!
I’m in my late 60s and have never heard of/had Orzo pasta. But I picked some up, made this recipe and have been making it almost daily for the past week. Thank you!
For some reason this turned out a little on the bland side. I added some white wine (Chardonnay) and steamed Broccoli, and the family loved it!
Delicious!! A great recipe that enables you to use your garden vegetables and herbs. It is a very light and delicious side dish. My family loves it!
Amazing! I served this with a parmesan crusted broiled fresh grouper. This was the star over the fresh caught fish.
Loved this! Great at room temp too.
This dish was delicious as is! Even my little one who is very picky ate it and said he really liked it.
Thank you
I made your dreamy butternut squash soup today and it was delicious! You guys are spot on!! I will be making many more of your recipes going forward..Thank you! Isabelle
This is an easy, delicious, and pretty dish and a great way to use all those summer tomatoes and basil! I made it for a light dinner but would also be great for lunch or anytime picnic.
This is a great dish. I did use 1/3 chicken broth when cooking orzo, then added shrimp with the tomato and basil. Makes a wonderful meal. Thanks for posting this recipe, only problem we had, was stopping at 1 serving
I love this dish!!! My husband loves it too and requests it frequently. So easy and so fresh! Thanks 😊
The Orzo Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan was delicious! This will be something I make for many different occasions.
Deliciously simple and fresh! Thank you for a new favorite! No changes needed. Bravissima!
Love this dish! It has become one of our family favourites. So light and tasty!
it was delish, my daughter loved it SOOO much however… my son not so much. he threw it up the walls and started crying. because he is allergic to it and I kind of forgot (he is the least favourite child) 😀 my neighbour had to call the ambulance for me son (Lol! Mondays right?) she came to the hospital with us, and since I had leftovers I gave it to her. she loved it!!! don’t tell them but I used grass instead of basil, it added natural flavour and was even more DELISH!
This is great! Thanks for the laugh!
Great recipe . Exactly as expected
Delicious! Will definitely make again. I sautéed some mushrooms first and added them in.