One Pot Creamy Orzo With Cherry Tomatoes
Aug 06, 2024, Updated Nov 17, 2024
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This one pot creamy orzo pasta with cherry tomatoes is exactly the kind of quick and comforting weeknight meal I love to make. I adore a one pot orzo dish, and over the years I’ve created so many variations, from my garlic butter orzo, to a bright lemon version and even a lemony prawn one. Just like all my orzo recipes, this creamy Mediterranean inspired recipe comes together in no time at all without skimping on flavour!
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
You’ll love this recipe because it’s the ultimate one pot wonder (just like my roasted pumpkin and garlic pasta)! And who doesn’t love a delicious one pot recipe!? Everything cooks together, so the orzo soaks up all those delicious flavours from the chicken broth, cream and cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes blister down until they’re sweet, jammy and saucy. It’s the same technique I use in my cherry tomato and basil pasta.
The texture is dreamy too, somewhere between a risotto and a pasta dish, like if the two had a very delicious baby. It’s comforting, silky, full of Mediterranean flavour and perfect for nights when you want something impressive with minimal fuss. And to make it that little bit more impressive? I crack open a big ball of burrata on top!
Ingredients For One Pot Creamy Orzo With Cherry Tomatoes
This recipe is made with simple everyday staples you most likely already have sitting in your pantry and fridge, making it the easiest weeknight dinner to pull together.
- Orzo (risoni): This tiny pasta cooks quickly and absorbs flavour beautifully, giving you that creamy, risotto-like texture. You could also use pastina!
- Cherry tomatoes: They blister and burst into sweet, jammy pockets of flavour that become the base of the sauce. I use this technique in my cherry tomato and basil pasta, lobster pasta and tomato butter pasta.
- Chicken broth: Use a lovely store-bought one or make your own! But you can easily swap it for vegetable broth to keep this dish vegetarian.
- Cream: I like to use a heavy cooking cream to give the orzo a lovely richness!
A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below
How To Make One Pot Creamy Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes
As I have said, this one pot creamy orzo with cherry tomatoes could not be easier to make!
Step 1: In a large frypan on a medium heat, bring the olive oil to heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 8 minutes or until soft and jammy.
Step 2: Add the cream, chicken stock, orzo and a generous amount of salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook on a gentle simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the orzo is plump and cooked and 80% of the liquid has been absorbed. Add a little more chicken stock if needed.
Step 3: Take off the heat and stir through the basil, lemon juice and zest, and Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately with Burrata, chilli flakes and an extra sprinkling of basil leaves.
FAQ’s
“Orzo” is the Italian name and “risoni” is what we commonly call it in Australia. They’re both the same small, rice-shaped pasta and can always be used interchangeably in recipes.
Absolutely. Simply swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and keep everything else the same.
If you prefer something lighter, you can use half and half, a splash of milk with a knob of butter, or even a little mascarpone for extra richness. It’s also delicious without cream or any dairy!
Yes! Cooked prawns, crispy crumbed chicken or pan-fried hot honey halloumi work beautifully with these Mediterranean flavours.
Fresh cherry tomatoes give the best jammy texture, but in a pinch you can use tinned tomatoes — just expect a slightly different consistency.
How To Serve
- Serve it straight from the pot while it’s creamy and silky. The longer orzo sits, the more the sauce will thicken!
- Top with freshly grated parmesan or a big ball of burrata to really impress and indulge!
- Add a handful of fresh basil or parsley for brightness.
- Pair it with a simple green salad or some crusty focaccia to soak up the sauce.
- For extra protein, finish with garlic butter cooked prawns, crispy crumbed chicken or pan-fried halloumi.
How To Store
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- The orzo will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating to bring back that creamy texture.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
More Orzo Recipes to Love
If you make this One pot creamy orzo with cherry tomatoes, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.
One Pot Creamy Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 14 oz cherry tomateos
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup Orzo
- large basil leaves, sliced
- 1/2 lemon juice , + zest
- 1/2 cup pecorino romano
- 1 ball buratta
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- Fry aromatics & tomatoes: In a large frypan on a medium heat, bring the olive oil to heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 8 minutes or until soft and jammy.
- Sauce: Add the cream, chicken stock, orzo and a generous amount of salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook on a gentle simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the orzo is plump and cooked and 80% of the liquid has been absorbed. Add a little more chicken stock if needed.
- Finish: Take off the heat and stir through the basil, lemon juice and zest, and Pecorino Romano.
- Serve: Serve immediately with Burrata, chilli flakes and an extra sprinkling of basil leaves.
Video
Notes
- Orzo (risoni): This tiny pasta cooks quickly and absorbs flavour beautifully, giving you that creamy, risotto-like texture. You could also use pastina!
- Cherry tomatoes: You can use tinned tomatoes if you need to!
- Chicken broth: You a lovely store-bought one or make your own! But you can easily swap it for vegetable broth to keep this dish vegetarian.
- Cream: I like to use a heavy cooking cream to give the orzo a lovely richness!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
tastes great but does NOT serve 4. i cooked this for my family of 4 and it barely serves 2 -and that was with an extra half of the recipe added on. lovely recipe but i dont appreciate the misinformation!
I am terribly sorry that the serving sizes were small for you! I will make a note of this in the recipe card 🙂
So so delicious! Perfect for winter nights
So glad you enjoyed it!
So delicious and easy! I used ricotta instead of burrata
Ricotta would also work so well! Thanks for leaving the lovely feedback.
Absolutely amazing recipe! Made it today and it turned out so well!
Thank you for the lovely feedback!
I made this tonight for dinner, and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I didn’t have any burrata cheese, but it was still amazing without it. I will most definitely be making this every week for dinner from now on!
This came out so good! I had no tomatoes so I used tomato paste instead and it tasted amazing. Cut back to about 1/4 cup of cream. So easy and tasty
Sounds delicious! Thank you for leaving the lovely feedback and comment.
I normally do not write reviews but i just had to say what a lovely, rich, and simple one pan meal this was. I tried this as a quick and easy dinner. Instead of buratta, I substituted with fresh parm and sour cream (all i had on hand) I added smoked bacon I made in the pan prior to this dish. I topped it with fresh basil from my garden. I served it with a cucumber and vine ripened tomato salad and garlic bread. Even my 6 year old was crazy about it. Everyone loved it and I did as well. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for leaving this lovely comment!
Just made this for dinner. It was absolutely delicious! I added chicken to it instead of burrata. This will be going in my dinner recipe book. Thank you for sharing.
I am so happy to hear that!