One Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo

This One Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo is a quick and easy side dish that’s rich, comforting, and packed with flavor. Made with simple ingredients and ready in 25 minutes, it's perfect alongside chicken, fish, or roasted veggies—or honestly, just eat it straight from the pan.

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT20M

Total time: PT25M

Rating

5 stars (9 reviews)

Keywords

creamy orzo, one pot orzo, orzo pasta

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic (finely minced (about 2 teaspoons))
2 cups orzo pasta (uncooked)
3 cups chicken broth
salt & black pepper (to taste)
1 cup half-and-half (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Cuisine

American

Steps

Sauté garlic: Melt butter in a large, wide pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté about 30 seconds, until fragrant (do not brown!).
Add orzo: Stir uncooked orzo pasta into skillet, roast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add broth: Stir broth into the skillet and season with salt and pepper.
Cook: Bring to a boil over hight heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook at a low simmer. Remove lid and stir every few minutes until pasta is done and sauce has thickened to your liking.
Finish: Stir through half-and-half, simmer one more minute, stirring a few times. Remove from heat. Stir through parmesan and parsley. Let sit a few minutes to thicken if needed, then serve immediately.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 359 kcal
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Protein: 14 g
Fat: 17 g

Reviews

Claire on 2026-04-17 (5 stars):
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was surprisingly delicious! I did use more garlic and added Swiss chard, as well as subbed crème fraiche for half and half because I was out. I could tell it’s perfect as written but also a great base for other things I have on hand. Beautiful dish!
Vicki on 2026-04-11 (5 stars):
Great recipe to play with....I added fresh spinach
Jenna on 2026-04-08 (5 stars):
Fantastic. Reminds me of pastina. I stirred in one egg after the half and half to add some protein. If you do this mix fast for two mins after.
Mary Sylvester on 2026-04-07 (5 stars):
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m making this tonight! I can’t wait! The garlic in the butter always fills the kitchen with such an amazing smell.
Debra on 2026-03-29 (5 stars):
This is now My go to, Thanks for sharing!
Debra Martin on 2026-03-14 (5 stars):
Absolutely, my go to. thank you so much! i live in Denver so I had to almost double the chicken broth, a little at a time. I did double the garlic (love garlic) and a tiny bit more parmesan. Just fabulous thank you so much!!!
Lilliana on 2026-02-03 (5 stars):
Loved this! I added the zest of a lemon with the broth, and served it with lemon parmesan perch.
Cynthia on 2025-10-03 (5 stars):
My family loved this!
Shelly on 2025-05-01 (5 stars):
Great flavor and so easy!