Parmesan Basil Orzo with Roasted Asparagus is an easy, savory pasta dish that is ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights.
It seems that I've been on a roll bringing you recipes from my childhood lately, so today I've got another one.
My mom used to make this pasta dish, and us kids (my younger sister especially) loved it. We simply called it "orzo", and it was cheesy and filled with flavor. I don't know where the recipe my mom actually made came from, but I made my own version. And in true Domestic Dreamboat style, I added vegetables. Asparagus, to be exact.
This Parmesan Basil Orzo with Roasted Asparagus is an easy 30-minute meal that's perfect for weeknights, even during soccer (or whatever sport your kids are into) season. It can be made vegetarian by replacing the chicken broth with "vegan chicken" broth.
How to Make Parmesan Basil Orzo with Roasted Asparagus
Start making this easy dish by prepping the asparagus. If your asparagus spears are thin, likely all you will need to do is remove the very bottom of the asparagus spears. If they're thick, it's usually best to remove the tough outer stalks on the bottom ⅓ to ½ of spears with a vegetable peeler. Then cut the spears into 2" long pieces.
Toss the asparagus pieces with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until the edges are browned and the asparagus is tender-crisp, about 8-10 minutes.
While the asparagus is roasting, start cooking the orzo. Melt some butter in a large sauté pan or skillet. Once it's melted, add the orzo and cook, stirring often, until the orzo is browned. Stir in the chicken broth. Simmer the orzo in the broth until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Once the orzo is no longer soupy, but still wet and "saucy" looking, stir in the Parmesan. Continue cooking until the Parmesan is melted and the liquid is completely absorbed.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cooked asparagus and chopped basil. Taste the orzo to determine whether it needs salt (this will depend on the amount of salt in the broth you use). Add salt, a little at a time as needed.
Divide the orzo between serving dishes, and garnish with freshly ground black pepper, additional chopped basil, and/or grated Parmesan cheese. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
Parmesan Basil Orzo with Roasted Asparagus Ingredients
- Fresh asparagus
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt - Or use MSG-salt to enhance the savory flavors in this recipe
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Butter - You can use either salted or unsalted butter here
- Dried orzo - Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta. Find it in small packages in the pasta aisle. Ensure your package is at least 340g (12 ounces) to ensure there is enough for this recipe.
- Chicken broth - Use homemade, ready-to-use, or concentrated chicken broth. Also, feel free to use reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegan "no chicken" broth.
- Parmesan cheese - Make sure to use real Parmesan cheese here, not the kind that comes from a plastic shaker container.
- Fresh basil - Avoid using dried basil here.
Want more vegetarian pasta recipes?
Parmesan Basil Orzo with Roasted Asparagus Nutrition Notes
This recipe serves 4 as an entree, or 6-8 as a side dish. The nutrition information in the recipe below is for an entree-sized portion, or ¼ of the recipe.
To make this pasta vegetarian, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, or with vegan "no chicken" broth.
Parmesan Basil Orzo with Roasted Asparagus
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Move oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 425°F. Alternatively, you can use a toaster oven/air fryer.
- Prep the asparagus by washing and drying, and trimming and/or peeling the tough ends. Cut the asparagus into 2" long pieces.
- Toss the asparagus with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and spread them on a baking sheet (or a mini baking sheet to fit in your toaster oven). Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are browning and the asparagus is just becoming tender. While the asparagus is cooking, start working on the orzo.
- Add 2 Tablespoons butter to a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add 2 cups (340 g) dried orzo. Cook, stirring often, until the orzo turns golden brown. Slowly stir in 3 ½ cups chicken broth. Cook, uncovered, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.
- When the orzo is no longer soupy, but still looks quite wet, stir in 3 ounces (85 g) Parmesan cheese and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the orzo is looking mostly dry, but saucy, about 3-5 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the roasted asparagus and ½ cup chopped fresh basil. Taste the orzo, and add a little salt, if needed. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, additional chopped basil, and/or grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!
Leave a Reply