Creamy Orzo

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Cook with your Kids

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (331)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(331)

Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 to 8 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 15 min
Total:: 25 min

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Ingredients

1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices drained
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Creamy Orzo
Melissa Bridgeport, CT 01-24-2010
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Easy and Delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

East to prepare, cook, and clean up! I used half & half instead of full cream, and it was still creamy and cheesy. This one... is definitely a winner!Read more
recipe Creamy Orzo
Nancy Colorado Springs, CO 01-24-2010
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Quick, easy, delicious, and versatile!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I'm a single mom with two jobs, so on Sunday I cook several meals that my teenagers can reheat for dinners during the week. ... Tried this recipe today and divided the orzo into two pots. One I continued as directed but without the heavy cream (substituted a little chicken stock and soy milk instead); in the other pot I added a can of mixed vegetables for my son, who doesn't like tomatoes. Everyone loves their respective variations, and it made enough for a couple of nights at least!Read more
recipe Creamy Orzo
matan san antonio, TX 01-16-2010
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quick and delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

so good and so quick. perfect week night meal. i didn't have a shallot, but otherwise i followed the recipe exactly. thanks... giada!Read more
recipe Creamy Orzo
Mimi Mukilteo, WA 01-10-2010
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Easy and Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is such a quick and easy dish to make and it's really tasty. I've made it several times. It makes a lot and it keeps... well. I take leftovers to work for lunch. I always season it to my taste and sometimes I add some herbs or ham to change it up.Read more
recipe Creamy Orzo
Kari Ann DeKalb, IL 01-05-2010
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Delicious and Enexpensive
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My boyfriend and I are college students, so our grocery budget is tiny, but we love really good food. This was perfect! I... made a few tweaks to it to make it work for us. First, I diced up two boneless skinless chicken breasts and sauteed them in a little bit of olive oil. Then I halved the recipe and replaced the peas with one box of frozen spinach. I also didn't use any shallots or garlic cloves. Instead I used a good amount of Goya Adobo seasoning. I made sure to add the seasoning when I was cooking the chicken, sauteing the the tomatoes and spinach, and then again before I served it. It was super filling and even with halving the recipe there were still leftovers. It's great for a cold winter night.Read more
recipe Creamy Orzo
Sharon Cleveland, OH 01-04-2010
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Absolutely Awesome
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe is so good and so easy to prepare. I did not need any of the extra pasta water to make the dish creamier. The... cream itself was enough. For those reviewers who rated this recipe as "bland" you need to season it liberally with salt and pepper. I used 1-1/2 to 2 tsps of regular salt. And fresh cracked black pepper. It has amazing flavors. I dn't think you should substitute a regular onion for the shallot as the shallot adds a subtle heat to the dish. Absolutely wonderful dish with wonderful flavors. Even my persnickety daughter loved it. And that says volumes about the recipe. Read more