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Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Creamy Parmesan Orzo with basil is a recipe for a tasty, easy side dish that goes with a wide variety of main courses and is ready in 30 minutes! 
This recipe for Creamy Parmesan Orzo with basil is a tasty, easy side dish that goes with a wide variety of main dishes and is ready in 30 minutes!
This post originally appeared on Catz in March 2013. It’s one of our favorite, easy, tasty go-to side dishes, and it truly goes with (almost) everything. We’ve updated the photos, the post, and the recipe, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Josh and I have a habit of stalking the sale reduction bins in our grocery store. We’ve found some real treasures there. For example, Josh was perusing that section when he came across a John Frieda straightener for 50% off. Being the sweet guy that he is, he called me up asking if I needed it. Of course I said, “YES!” The only thing I liked about the one I had was its color, which was pink. Other than that, I hated it.
This recipe for Creamy Parmesan Orzo with basil is a tasty, easy side dish that goes with a wide variety of main dishes and is ready in 30 minutes! Another time when I was grocery shopping, I saw a bunch of little bags of orzo in the reduced bin. The reason they were on clearance was because the packaging was changing. So I bought several packages, along with a few other goodies I had found.This recipe for Creamy Parmesan Orzo with basil is a tasty, easy side dish that goes with a wide variety of main dishes and is ready in 30 minutes!

When I made this simple little side dish with one of the packages of orzo, my kids freaked out over it! I couldn’t believe that something as simple as this made such a big impression. The basil gives this pasta dish such brightness and so much flavor. Believe it or not, there were leftovers, which lent themselves nicely as a side dish for the next evening’s dinner.

This would also make a great side dish to go with your Easter dinner. I have a feeling you would be getting requests to make it every year from here on out!This recipe for Creamy Parmesan Orzo with basil is a tasty, easy side dish that goes with a wide variety of main dishes and is ready in 30 minutes!

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This recipe for Creamy Parmesan Orzo with basil is a tasty, easy side dish that goes with a wide variety of main dishes and is ready in 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 cups Orzo
  • 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 6 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
  2. Add the orzo, and sauté for a few minutes, until golden brown.
  3. Add the broth and cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed.
  4. Remove from heat and add chopped basil, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 546mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate.

This recipe for Creamy Parmesan Orzo with basil is a tasty, easy side dish that goes with a wide variety of main dishes and is ready in 30 minutes!

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