Creamy Orzo With Rosemary Brown Butter
This Creamy Orzo With Rosemary Brown Butter comes together in just 25 minutes. Rich butter, fragrant rosemary, tangy lemon and a sprinkling of sharp parmesan cheese makes this easy orzo a perfect side to shrimp or chicken, or great all on its own!
Equipment
1 Dutch Oven (Or large pot)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sliced shallots (2- 3 shallots)
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups orzo
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
- ½ cup ricotta
- squeeze of lemon
Instructions
- Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a medium Dutch oven or large pan over medium heat. Cook the butter, stirring it until the foam disappears and the milk solids start to turn golden brown (you’ll begin to see tiny brown specks in the butter). Continue stirring and cook until the butter begins to have a nutty aroma (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add the sliced shallots and stir until slightly softened about 3 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic, the freshly ground pepper, and the red pepper flakes, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the orzo and toast it in the brown butter for 1 minute. Add the broth, wine, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of salt, cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat until the orzo is tender and the liquid has been mostly absorbed. This should take about 15 minutes.
- Remove the Dutch oven from heat and add the parmesan. Stir to combine and add a dollop of the ricotta (or yogurt or creme fraiche if using) squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- Watch the butter carefully as it browns. It will start sizzling and foaming in the pan, then turn to a beautiful brown color, and you’ll see the milk fats separate to the bottom and start to brown. This is when you know it’s done. Don’t let it go longer than this or it may burn.
- Creamy orzo with rosemary brown butter is easy to store! Just place the orzo in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-4 minutes (depending on the quantity you have left!) When reheating, you may wish to add a little bit of water if the orzo has dried out in the fridge a bit.
- This is a great dish to prepare ahead of time because it reheats really nicely. If you’re making this buttery orzo pasta ahead of time, just don’t sprinkle on the extra parmesan cheese until after you have reheated it.
- Orzo is widely available in most grocery stores, but it can be a bit tricky to find. Most of the time you should see it in the pasta aisle. But, sometimes it’s placed with the rice so if you’re having trouble, look both places. And, to complicate matters even more, it’s sometimes placed near the soup or broth since it’s often an ingredient used in soup recipes. When in doubt, ask your grocer to help!
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!