Lemon Orzo Recipe: How to Make Lemon Orzo Pasta

Orzo is a kind of Italian pasta made from whole-wheat flour, semolina flour, white flour, or whole-grain flour with a small, rice-like appearance. Cooks often prepare orzo in chicken stock instead of water. Fresh lemon juice and zest lift its mild flavor, while herbs, oil, and generous seasonings make it sing.

Like most pasta, orzo is versatile and pairs well with diverse flavors. Here are some ways to serve it that add freshness and balance the lemon’s acidic brightness.

1. 1. Add to soups. Lemon orzo brings texture to brothy soups or brothy beans. Prepare the orzo separately, then spoon the warm pasta into your serving dishes just before eating. Try this lemon orzo chicken soup.
2. 2. Add in cheese. Use a fine zester to grate featherlight Parmesan cheese or Gruyère into your lemon orzo. Toss in chopped herbs to balance out the rich creaminess.
3. 3. Make a grain salad. In place of bulgur wheat, use lemon orzo for refreshing, herb-forward tabbouleh. (Use this tabbouleh recipe as a guide.) Alternatively, swap orzo for couscous in a Moroccan-inspired lemon orzo salad with toasted spices, dried fruits, and nuts.
4. 4. Make faux risotto. Substitute lemon orzo for arborio rice the next time you plan to make risotto. Orzo has less starch than arborio rice, so the former can add a chewy, rather than creamy, texture to each bite of lemon risotto.
5. 5. Make lemon orzo Niçoise salad. Lemon orzo mixed with fresh dill, cooked green beans, a tin of olive oil-packed tuna, and halved cherry tomatoes makes a meal. Put your own spin on Niçoise for a refreshing summer dinner.
6. 6. Serve with proteins. Lemon orzo adds tanginess and a satisfying bite as a side dish with baked tofu or rotisserie chicken—but you can also shred either protein directly into the salad for heft.
7. 7. Toss in sautéed or roasted vegetables. Mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, or diced eggplant add juiciness and caramelized sweetness to lemon orzo. Garnish the vegetables with extra fresh herbs.
8. 8. Treat it like a larger pasta shape. Lemon orzo pasta salad is the perfect picnic or potluck side. Just toss cooked lemon orzo with sliced grilled chicken, arugula, and vinaigrette. Or, for a weeknight meal, make lemon orzo cacio e pepe.

To make this easy recipe suit most diets, look for gluten-free varieties of orzo at your grocery store. And remember: the more flavor you add to this tiny pasta, the better.

1. 1. Cook the pasta in a flavorful liquid. Chicken broth may be typical for this dish, but cooking the orzo in mushroom broth or vegetable broth will also infuse plenty of flavors. Or, use water and add a good amount of salt, a few bay leaves, and an old Parmesan rind if you have one.
2. 2. Keep it al dente. Like you would with larger pasta shapes, keep your eye on the time to avoid overcooking the orzo. (Otherwise, you will have mushy orzo.)
3. 3. Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice just doesn’t have the same zing as the fresh kind. One large lemon should yield enough fresh juice and zest for four servings of lemon orzo.
4. 4. Store leftover orzo properly. Keep your orzo in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to a week. The flavors will only marry together and deepen with time.