Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (2024)

You are going to love this Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta. It is officially my favorite fresh tomatoes pasta dinner this summer. It is loaded with garlic and parmesan flavor, makes creamy orzo pasta without creams, and needs only pantry staples you already have.It is vegetarian, perfect for meatless days or even great on side with your favorite roasted chicken.

Oh, also sharing tips 1) how to make delicious and creamy orzo pasta with pantry ingredients, and 2) how to roast summer tomatoes to juicy perfection.

Bring on all summer bounty of tomatoes from garden and let's make this Roasted Tomato Pasta for dinner. My mini garden yielded beautiful Roma Tomatoes this season. I have used most of them to make this, multiple times, past few weeks.

Let's dig in!

Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (1)

The star of the show is Garlic Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes. My only request is to use freshest possible, firm roma tomatoes for this recipe. Soft or over-ripe tomatoes don't belong here.

To roast the tomatoes, I opt for oven-broiler method instead of regular oven roast. It is fast, sear tomatoes fast without making'em mushy. This is the key to best oven roasted tomatoes. Don't let'em get mushy, soft or overcooked. A quick sear under broiler works perfectly.

For extra layer of flavor, I brush garlic oil on sliced tomatoes, season with salt and cumin, and top with parmesan mixture. then, in just 3-4 minutes, under boiler, parmesan melts, and heat infuses salt and garlic-oil flavor into tomatoes. Resulting tomatoes are sweet, garlicky, with delicious parmesan flavor. These tomatoes also hold shape and juices inside. One bite and these burst in mouth. Super yummy!

Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (2)

In-fact, if you like tomatoes I recommend spending 5 minutes to just make Roasted Tomatoes. Serve on side of any summer meal or early Autumn meal.

I'm the biggest tomatoes fan at home and Vishal is pasta fan. This pasta dinner was also on rotation because we both love something about it. Plus Orzo Pasta is one of the easiest pasta to cook for weeknight dinner. this rice-shaped pasta cooks quickly, holds shape well. When prepared well and creamy, it tastes like a delicious Garlic Parmesan Risotto.

This reminds me, have you tried my Garlic Chicken Risotto Recipe? I highly recommend checking it out.

Key to Creamy Orzo Pasta without Creams?

Key to creamy Orzo Pasta without creams is Pasta Cooking Water. Small shape of orzo makes cooked orzo stick to each other fast. I like to keep good quantity of pasta water in hand to revive the pasta plus make it creamy. Once I'm ready to serve, I heat pasta water in microwave, then mix half of it with cooked and drained orzo. Add Parmesan, herbs, and garlic-oil.

Note: From creamy pasta I mean, rich and silky pasta, and not coated in cream sauce. There is no cream used in this recipe.

Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (3)

Mix until pasta regains it shine, keep adding more until it is silky, and smooth. Then, taste and adjust salt and black pepper.

Orzo Pasta is loaded with garlic and lemon flavor. After mixing everything, the resulting pasta is silky, has prominent flavor of garlic, and lemon.

For amazing garlic flavor, I cook garlic in oil until it gets crisp brown (but is not burnt). Key is to remove it form stove as soon as you see first sign of brown garlic. Leave of heat for sometime and it will brown in residual oil heat. In this time, oil infused with amazing garlic flavor. (This is my go-to recipe to make garlic oil for garlic bread.)

When garlic, oil, and lemon juice is mixed in orzo, it give orzo delicious lemon notes with pronounced garlic flavor. You can't miss it. That being said, orzo sauce recipe is so simple. I do recommend using as-is. Try it once and you will love it.

Note: Pasta water already has salt. So, it does not need a lot salt at the end. Just a pinch or two are sufficient.

Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (4)

That's it. Orzo Pasta is ready, tomatoes are roasted. Ladle into plates. Garnish with your favorite herb (I used fresh mint. Use any favorite herb or greens: such as basil, parsley or chives.). An amazing summer dinner is ready to devour.

Does it look delicious or what?

Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (5)

I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Happy Cooking my friends. -Savita x

Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (6)

Roasted Tomatoes Orzo Pasta Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (2024)

FAQs

Is orzo healthy? ›

Orzo can fit beautifully into your meals, potentially offering valuable nutrients. It comes packed with carbs, making it an energy source for your daily needs. Its whole-grain variants offer added fiber and nutrients.

What does orzo taste like? ›

It's often confused for a grain because of its small shape, but it is a dough that's rolled, cut, and dried just like any other pasta. Orzo has a mild, neutral taste just like pasta. Its small size gives it a velvety mouthfeel and springy texture.

How is orzo made? ›

Orzo is pasta made from durum wheat, semolina flour, and water. Orzo is not rice! Its identity crisis comes from its shape, which is suspiciously similar to medium-grain rice like basmati or Arborio, the Italian rice used to make risotto and arancini.

What can you use as a substitute for orzo? ›

However, if you've run out of orzo but want a similar comforting result, see the ingredients I'd suggest to use below:
  • Fregola Pasta.
  • Stellette Pasta.
  • Macaroni Pasta.
  • Bulgar Wheat.
  • Green Lentils.
  • Pearl Couscous.
  • Ditalini Pasta.
  • Broken Spaghetti.
Oct 18, 2023

Is orzo OK for weight loss? ›

Orzo also has a higher fiber content than rice as well. Orzo does, however, have a higher carbohydrate content per serving, but not by much. Due to the higher protein and fiber content, orzo will leave you feeling fuller for longer which is helpful for those trying to lose weight.

Is orzo inflammatory? ›

However, the dietary fibre in whole grains helps reduce inflammation and provides relief from related diseases. Therefore, orzo made from whole grains may have some anti-inflammatory functions.

How do Italians eat orzo? ›

Orzo can be an ingredient in soup, including avgolemono, a Greek soup, and in Italian soups such as minestrone. It can also be part of a salad, a pilaf, or giouvetsi, or baked in a casserole. It can also be boiled and lightly fried, to create a dish similar to risotto.

Do you rinse orzo before cooking? ›

Test Kitchen Tip. Rinse the orzo only if it will be baked or served cool in a salad. Otherwise, do not rinse; rinsing removes a light coating of starch that helps sauces and seasonings cling to the pasta.

Is orzo better for you than rice? ›

Orzo is a good source of thiamin and niacin, also providing some B6, folate, iron and zinc. White rice delivers more zinc than the others, but has much smaller amounts of other nutrients.

What are the side effects of orzo? ›

Q. Is it safe to use Orzo 10mg/20mg Capsule? Yes, Orzo 10mg/20mg Capsule is safe for most of the patients. However, in some patients it may cause common side effects like diarrhea, stomach pain, flatulence, dryness in the mouth, dizziness, headache and other uncommon and rare side effects.

What is the point of orzo pasta? ›

Orzo is often used in Mediterranean dishes such as pastas and pasta salads. Although orzo is a pasta, it can also be used to good effect in dishes in which you might initially consider using rice. For instance, orzo can be used to add texture to any soup or as a base for sauteed shrimp.

What is orzo called in Italy? ›

Though orzo pasta does not have a direct city in Italy as its place of origin, the ingredients prove prominent all over the country, where locals call it risoni. In fact, the word orzo means "barley," in Italian, and while the uncooked orzo looks like the grain, the two don't have much else in common.

Is orzo healthier than spaghetti? ›

Orzo is commonly made from white flour, but it can be made from whole-grain flour as well, making it a healthier pasta option. A two oz. serving of orzo is 200 calories. This small pasta is a good source of carbohydrates; one serving of orzo contains 42 grams of carbohydrates and two grams of fiber.

How long does orzo take to cook? ›

How to Cook Orzo. The easiest way to prepare orzo is to heat a pot of salted water and add the pasta once the water begins to boil. Cook until the pasta reaches al dente, approximately 8 to 10 minutes or as the package indicates.

Can I use white rice instead of orzo? ›

If you're making a soup or stew, rice can work well as a substitution for orzo pasta. However, you may want to cook the rice separately before adding it. Rice is so starchy that when cooked with the broth, it will thicken considerably. That said, you can always offset this by adding more liquid.

Is orzo healthier than pasta? ›

Orzo is commonly made from white flour, but it can be made from whole-grain flour as well, making it a healthier pasta option. A two oz. serving of orzo is 200 calories. This small pasta is a good source of carbohydrates; one serving of orzo contains 42 grams of carbohydrates and two grams of fiber.

Is orzo healthier than rice? ›

Orzo is a type of pasta that's similar to rice in shape, size, and texture. Whole-wheat orzo packs more fiber and protein than regular orzo, which makes it the healthier choice. Still, it's fairly high in calories, providing about 50% more calories than an equal serving of white rice.

Is orzo a good substitute for rice? ›

Orzo and rice are not exact substitutions. Their differing textures ensure that your final dish will have a different quality if you substitute one for the other. You'll also find that the cooking times and temperatures for each vary widely. Orzo has a creamier and softer texture than rice.

What are the healthiest pastas? ›

Best Pastas You Can Eat
  • Whole-Wheat Pasta. 1/10. Also called whole-grain pasta, this type of pasta keeps the bran, endosperm, and germ of the grain together. ...
  • Chickpea Pasta. 2/10. ...
  • Legume-Based Pastas. 3/10. ...
  • Soba Noodles. 4/10. ...
  • Rice Noodles. 5/10. ...
  • Quinoa Pasta. 6/10. ...
  • Vegetable Noodles. 7/10. ...
  • White Pasta. 8/10.
Aug 23, 2022

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