Creamy Zucchini Orzotto
Creamy Zucchini Orzotto, a simple orzo pasta dish cooked like risotto until soft and creamy with seasonal zucchini and fresh basil. Perfect for summer!
Equipment
- 1 small pot
- 1 large pot or Dutch oven
- 1 1/4 cup measuring cup
- 1 large spoon
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 pounds zucchini squash thinly sliced (about 3 zucchini)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 16 ounces orzo
- ½ cup basil chopped
- Optional: parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for garnish
Instructions
- Heat vegetable broth: In a small pot over medium-low heat, warm the vegetable broth (but do not boil). Let the broth sit and warm while cooking the orzo.
- Cook zucchini: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add zucchini slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until zucchini becomes very soft and releases its water, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Cook orzo: Add orzo pasta to the pot and stir to combine with the zucchini. Take a 1/4 cup measuring cup of the reserved warm vegetable broth and slowly pour into the orzo pot, using a large spoon to continue to stir the broth into the orzo. Continue stirring the orzo until the broth has been completely absorbed, then add another 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and stirring until it is absorbed. Repeat this process until the orzo is cooked until al dente, or when it is soft but still firm and not mushy (usually about 15-17 minutes total).
- Season and serve: When the orzo is almost done cooking, sprinkle it with more salt and pepper and stir in the cheese or nutritional yeast. Before serving stir in the chopped basil. Then serve with a sprig of basil as garnish.
Notes
Prep ahead: This recipe is best made fresh, however you can prep it up to 2 days ahead of time (you may need to add a liquid like water or broth to rehydrate the orzo).
Leftovers and storage: Store leftover orzo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing as the texture will be mushy when thawed. To reheat, cook for 5 in the stove or 2 minutes in the microwave. Stir in 1 tablespoon of water to add moisture to rehydrate the orzo if it has dried.
Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is an estimate using all listed ingredients and nutritional yeast in place of cheese. This recipe uses all plant-based ingredients if using nutritional yeast, which makes it suitable for vegan diets.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 489kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 18gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 970mgPotassium: 854mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1120IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!