This lemon orzo recipe is light, creamy, and full of zesty flavour made with simple ingredients like fresh lemon juice, garlic, and parmigiano (parmesan) . It’s quick to cook and versatile enough to serve as a refreshing side dish or a meat-free main. Perfect with grilled chicken, fish, or roasted veggies, and ready in under 20 minutes in one pan.
Lemon Orzo Recipe, Light, Zesty and Creamy
One Pan Lemon Orzo Recipe
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dinner
Cuisine
Mediterranean
Author:
Ashley’s Place
Servings
4
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
This is one of my favourite recipes to make at the moment, it is really light and zesty but still creamy without having to add any cream in! You can customise it how you like with or without veggies and it has a delicious flavour.
Ingredients
-
3 Cloves Garlic minced
-
2 tsp Lemon Zest approx. 2 small lemons *Note 1
-
2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice approx. 2 small lemons
-
2 Zucchinis Chopped
-
3 cups of Vegetable Stock (750ml)
-
1 tbsp Butter
-
1 cup of Orzo/risoni (if your not adding veggies do 1.5 cups) *Note 2
-
1 Handful of Baby Spinach
-
1/2 cup of Parmigiano cheese & extra for sprinkling (Parmesan) *Note 3
- Salt & pepper to taste
-
2-3 Sprigs Parsley to serve
Directions
🍋 Crush your garlic cloves, zest your lemons & juice the lemons & Chop your zucchinis into 1/4’s you can add 1 zucchini if you don’t want as much
- 🍋 Add the butter, garlic & lemon zest into a pan on a medium heat (not to high) and cook it off for about 30 seconds until fragrant
- 🍋 Add your orzo give it a good mix around and toast lightly for about2-3 mins (not as dark as mine I did it a bit too much woops)
- 🍋 Add the zucchini, stock & mix well before bringing to the boil and the reducing down to a simmer
🍋 Cook away for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure its not sticking you can cook longer if needed but 10 mins is usually enough
🍋 Turn the heat off add in your spinach and mix well, then add in the lemon juice and Parmigiano or Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper to taste and mix really well
🍋 Serve and enjoy immediately topped with some parsley and extra parmigiano
Recipe Note
Notes & FAQ's
- I used about 2 smallish size lemons but if you have really big ones you may only need 1 lemon
- You can make this without vegetables if you like and just have the pasta instead which if you aren't adding in the zucchini and spinach then add in 1.5 cups of orzo (risoni) and if you find it is thickening too quickly you can add some extra stock
- I always use Parmigiano Reggiano in my household but I always have some on hand, but you can use any parmesan cheese you like for this you don't have to have the Parmigiano it is just what I always use in my recipes so feel free to use parmesan as it is more readily available at supermarkets.
Can I switch out Zucchinis as I don't like them?
Yes definitely you can take them out completely and just have the pasta or you can switch with another veggie that you like instead just try to add the same amount so a similar amount to 2 zucchinis of whatever vegetable you use, it is ok if you use a little bit less but if you add too much more you may not have enough liquid.
Can I freeze this?
Yes it is a great freezer meal to have it will last up to 3 months in the freezer and will last about 3-5 days in the fridge
Do you serve this by itself?
You can have this as a pasta dish on its own, or you can serve it with a lovely salad on the side a rocket salad would be delicious on the side with this and that is how I eat it sometimes. You can also serve it as a side dish with some fish, or chicken even prawns would be lovely served with this dish. It is really versatile in what you serve it with.