Name: Squash Zucchini Parmesan Orzo Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: PT-468241H9M29S
Total time: PT-468241H9M29S
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: For squash & zucchini; 2 medium zucchini, diced; 2 medium yellow squash, diced; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; For orzo; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 small white onion diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup orzo; 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 3/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen); 1/2 cup grated Parmesan; 2 tablespoons minced chives

Simmered in vegetable broth, this Parmesan orzo turns out beautifully creamy and rich. I stir in peas and a sheet pan roasted yellow squash and zucchini to make this easy vegetarian orzo pasta recipe. You can serve it as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish.

You can also try this Lemon Kale Orzo recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

With orzo you get pasta and rice in a single ingredient. Even though orzo officially lands in the pasta category, because of its shape you get the best of both worlds.

This dish is all about the veggies. Peas along with diced zucchini and squash are the perfect size to go with orzo, so you have lots of vegetables in each bite.

You can swap out roasted squash and zucchini for another combination of veggie. This recipe is great as is, but you can switch them out for roasted cherry tomatoes or sautéed mushrooms. Or you can change it up seasonally. For instance, try roasted butternut squash in the fall. And no matter the time of year, you can stir in baby spinach.

What is Orzo?

Shaped like rice, this tiny pasta can be cooked in a pot of salted water like any type of pasta or in broth like you would for rice. When you simmer it in broth, orzo turns creamy without a sauce, which is how I do it when I’m planning to serve it warm. Orzo is also fantastic for pasta salads, and for that, I simmer it in water. You also can add orzo to soup.

Orzo is pastina, which in Italian means “little pasta.” Even thought it looks like rice, orzo is technically pasta. You can find varieties made with whole-wheat flour, which is what I like for this recipe because it adds a little more to the taste and bite.

How To Make Squash Zucchini Parmesan Orzo

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Toss the zucchini and squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. You can do this right on the sheet pan. Then spread them into a single layer.

2. Roast the squash and zucchini until they are lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.

Zucchini and squash on a sheet pan before and after they are roasted.

3. Sauté the onions in olive oil over medium high heat on the stove until they start to soften. This will take 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for a minute until fragrant.

Onions sautéing in a skillet. Minced garlic and seasonings stirred into sautéed onions.

5. Stir the orzo into the onions.

6. Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer. Wait 8-10 minutes for the orzo to absorb most of the liquid and the grains to be al dente. Then take the pan off the heat.

Orzo stirred into onions in a skillet. Vegetable broth poured into skillet.

7. Add the peas and Parmesan cheese. Frozen peas will quickly thaw and warm up from the heat of the orzo.

8. Fold in the roasted squash and zucchini and minced chives.

Peas stirred into Parmesan orzo. Roasted squash and zucchini stirred into orzo.

Serving

I love this Parmesan orzo pasta for a vegetarian main dish. You can serve it with this Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette or an Italian Chopped Salad. They are both two of my go-to salads for pasta dishes.

Leftovers & Storage

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Warm them in the microwave. Or you can eat them cold like an orzo salad and add arugula or other greens.

More Orzo Recipes

Roasted Broccoli Orzo
Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
Tomato Zucchini Orzo
Roasted Butternut Squash Orzo