Lemon orzo recipe is ready in just 26 minutes using 6 simple pantry ingredients and one pan. It’s buttery, fragrant, and packed with bright lemon flavor. Trust me, it’s exactly the kind of effortless, easy weeknight dinner. It’s highly customizable, which is why this little pasta has been on my weekly dinner rotation for years!
Some days, you just want pasta without all the frills and thrills! Just simple ingredients that give bold flavors.
This recipe is simple, sure. But, I have to warn you, this lemon orzo recipe has ALL the taste thrills!
The tang of the lemon, along with the bite of the garlic, makes the butter sauce taste so good!
This lemon orzo has been on MY weekly dinner rotation for years, and I have a feeling it’s about to become yours too!
🍝 What is orzo pasta?
Orzo pasta is a small, oblong-shaped pasta. Often, it has been mistaken for rice because they look so much alike. However, they are very different.
Rice is a naturally grown food, and that is the shape it is when harvested. Orzo pasta, on the other hand, is cut out from rolled dough. The dough is usually made from durum wheat semolina (or even durum wheat flour).
It cooks faster than any other pasta and can be stored for a long time. My last orzo packet lasted me close to 18 months. Watch this fascinating video of how orzo pasta is cut and shaped.
What I love most about orzo is how versatile it is — it works beautifully in orzo soups, orzo salads, 20-minute pesto orzo, and even stuffed vegetables.
My tip for storing it is to put it in these (Amazon affiliate link) air-tight containers made specifically for pasta. They may be a little on the pricey side ($18 in April 2026), but they are well worth the money. These jars last a long time and keep the pasta fresh for just as long.
❓ Quick Answers for Your Lemon Orzo Recipe
– Avocado oil
– Coconut oil
– Extra virgin olive oil
– Go oil-free
My personal favorite is Avocado oil because it adds a lovely richness without overpowering the lemon.
Yes, you can cook the pasta separately and then add it to the butter and garlic mixture. Make sure your pasta is al dente.
The reason I cooked everything together is that the flavors infuse into every molecule of the orzo as it cooks. The orzo also turns so soft and practically melts in your mouth.
Plus, this is a one-pot pasta dinner. That means only one pan to clean!
Sadly, orzo falls in the pasta category, so it’s not gluten-free. Mostly made from durum wheat, this pasta is not good for those with celiac disease. The good news is that Barilla has a huge line of celiac-friendly pasta, which includes gluten-free orzo.
Ideally, you want to keep this pasta as is. It’s better without sauce. However, I understand if you are a must-have sauce-in-my-pasta kind of person.
– Choose a simple basil pesto or any pesto recipe.
– Use creamy pasta sauce like this cottage cheese alfredo or a vegan alfredo sauce.
– A fresh herb sauce like the one I used in my casarecce pasta, or even chermoula sauce.
– Even a healthy white wine sauce works great with this sauce.
– Stay away from tomato-based sauces for this orzo pasta because tomato sauce will overtake the orzo and turn it into a soup.
As a vegetarian, I prefer vegetable broth. That said, you can always use broth of choice. I have heard people who use chicken broth and have LOVED the outcome. Some have told me that they prefer beef broth, while some have even used mushroom broth. So, choose the broth you gravitate towards, and it will turn out delicious. And if you don’t have any broth on hand, plain water works just as well! That is actually what my original recipe uses!
This lemon orzo is perfectly delicious on its own and doesn’t need any heavy cream or whipping cream. If you want to make it richer and creamier, add a quarter cup of heavy cream toward the end of cooking. Let it cook for about 2 minutes after adding cream. For vegans, coconut milk works beautifully and adds a subtle sweetness that pairs really well with the lemon!
Lemon Orzo Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat a stainless steel pan for 30 seconds and then add vegan butter
- Once the butter has melted, add garlic cloves to the pan
- Add orzo to the pan and mix well. Let the butter coat every orzo
- Let it saute for about 1 minute
- Add water
- Next, add salt to the pan and mix well
- Cook on medium heat for 20-25 min or until all the water is gone (see notes)
- Be sure to stir occasionally so that the pasta doesn’t stick at the bottom.
- When the water is gone, drizzle the lemon juice
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately
Video
Notes
Nutrition
🧑🍳 How to make one pan lemon orzo pasta
Equipment note: Use a heavy, stainless-steel saucepan to prevent the orzo from sticking. Or, cook them in a Dutch oven.
Heat a large pan for 30 seconds on medium heat before adding the 3 Tbsp of butter of your choice. Grass-fed unsalted butter will work for vegetarians, and Vegan butter will be great too.
Once the butter is golden brown, add 2 medium-sized garlic cloves to the pan. I grated them before adding them to the vegan butter.
Add 1 cup of orzo (use dry orzo) to the pan. Tip: Don’t rinse your orzo before adding it to the pan. Water and melted butter tend not to get along, and the pasta doesn’t get al dente.
Mix for a couple of minutes. Let the butter coat every orzo. You will be tempted to use high heat, but ignore that temptation.
Let it saute for about 1 minute, then add a little water at a time. The minimal amount of water (or vegetable broth) should be 3 cups.
Next, add 1 tsp of salt to the pan.
Mix well with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula.
Set the heat to medium and let it cook on its own. The cooking time will be about 20-25 min or until all the water has dissipated. To make it creamy, you can add coconut cream, coconut milk, or heavy cream.
Be sure to stir occasionally so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.
When the water is gone, drizzle the juice from ¼ of a lemon (about 1 Tbsp). You can add more lemon juice if desired.
Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon zest. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
Orzo can be substituted with casarecce, penne, farfalle pasta, angel hair pasta, spaghetti, linguine, or even frozen ravioli. Full recipe below.
🛠️ Customize Your Lemon Orzo
To make it a complete meal, you can also add more ingredients like:
This orzo recipe has the bare essentials. If this is all you have in your pantry, you should still be able to make a meal.
- Broccoli
- Fresh spinach – I like baby spinach.
- Sun-dried tomatoes, or Cherry tomatoes
- Organic produce like squash, red onions, bell peppers, grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted vegetables, or even sugar snap peas.
- Red pepper flakes, capers, or kalamata olives will add a tangy spice to this one-pot orzo dinner.
- Cheeses like mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese. Or, panko breadcrumbs, if you don’t like cheese.
- Your favorite protein (like tofu crumbles, air-fryer tempeh, or vegan sausage)
- Seasonings like za’atar or Italian seasoning.
- Cilantro lime corn
🏋 Is orzo healthy?
This is a pasta dish made with flour. So, most people don’t consider it very healthy. It is possible to find whole-wheat orzo and gluten-free, but it doesn’t taste as good as the durum one.
Here are orzo’s not-so-healthy attributes:
- Since they are so tiny, it’s easy to fool your brain into overeating it.
- It’s made from refined durum flour.
- It’s relatively high in carbs, so not good for those on Keto or Low-carb.
- Unlike whole-grain pasta, orzo has very little fiber. So, there is less cushion to prevent an insulin spike.
- Durum orzo is not suitable if you have celiac or gluten issues. They do make pasta for those with these intolerances, but it’s a huge compromise on flavor.
Wait! Don’t throw your orzo packet in the trash can just yet! Here are its positive attributes.
Here’s what orzo has going for it:
- Contains iron, magnesium, thiamine, niacin, and folate. Source: Barilla.
- Lower glycemic index than regular white rice. Source: Wildgrain and World of Pastabilities.
- When paired with vegetables, healthy fats, and good protein, orzo makes it a more balanced meal. The veggies add fiber, helping to lower the sugar spikes.
In conclusion, here is my philosophy on orzo. Enjoy it occasionally by loading it with vegetables, proteins, and good fats. Sometimes, you just need a little bad with a whole lot of good!
⏰ Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Yes, you can easily make this lemon orzo recipe ahead of time. Store it in a (Amazon affiliate link) glass container like this one from Amazon.
Sadly, cooked lemon orzo doesn’t freeze well because butter is the base of this recipe. Make-ahead or leftovers can be refrigerated for about 7 days. Use the glass container mentioned in the paragraph above for storage.
🍽️ What to serve with lemon orzo
Simple dinners like this one-pot meal can be served on their own. To make it a complete dinner, serve it with a spinach salad or kale salad.
This pasta dinner is not complete without homemade garlic bread. Even vegan dinner rolls make the pasta taste better.
🌾 More delicious orzo recipes
Orzo is a family favorite! I have quite a few recipes where I use orzo because it’s so delicious. Orzo is great in so many meals.
20-Minute Orzo Pesto Recipe
When you are short on time, there is nothing better than having a pasta meal. This orzo pesto recipe is ready in just 20 minutes, and you need the bare minimum to make it. After that, you can add protein of choice, if you wish.
Stuffed Poblanos Casserole
Poblanos are stuffed with orzo and lentils. Then, I top it with a sinful amount of cheese!
Roasted cauliflower salad
Cauliflower and orzo can make for a great combination. The flavors are so good, and you won’t have to work too hard to make them.
Orzo soup
This is a hearty, quick soup to make with other nutritious ingredients like spinach.
Comment below if you would like to see more one-pan dinners.
💌 Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this one-pan lemon orzo recipe? I want to hear all about it! Drop a comment below and tell me what you added to make it your own. I read every single comment. If this recipe made it onto your weeknight rotation, please give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It means the world to this little blog! And if you’re feeling generous, share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
I need to double this recipe, can I do this? This is a favorite recipe of my family.
Hello Donna, sure you can double this recipe easily. You may have to adjust some of the salt and lemon, but it will work perfectly. Thank you for your compliment. I am so glad to hear that your family likes it.