Orzo pasta is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 68 recipes to get you started.

What is orzo pasta?

Orzo is a small pasta cut to look like a large grain of rice or a fat barley kernel. That is where its name comes from: orzo is the Italian word for barley.

It is just durum semolina and water, the same dough as spaghetti, pushed through a die and cut into little tapered ovals about the size of a pine nut.

Because it cooks fast and stirs easily, orzo straddles two worlds. It behaves like a grain in salads and pilafs, yet it is pure pasta, so it turns creamy when you cook it risotto-style. That double identity is why it shows up in so many dishes here.

Ways to Use Orzo

Orzo boils in 7 to 9 minutes for al dente, and it is forgiving.

Drain it for a salad like the colorful Orzo Confetti Salad, or cook it down in extra liquid until it goes glossy and thick, the way Risotto-Style Orzo with Tomatoes & Asiago Cheese does without the constant stirring real risotto demands.

It is also a natural soup pasta. The small grains spoon up easily, which is why orzo lands in brothy bowls like Quick Beef Soup.

For more body, toast the dry orzo in a little butter or oil until it smells nutty before you add liquid, the same move you would use for a rice pilaf. It deepens the flavor and helps the grains stay separate.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Orzo loves bright, herby, lemony partners. Feta, kalamata olives, fresh dill, and a squeeze of lemon turn it into a Greek-leaning side, the backbone of Tangy Lemon Orzo. It also takes well to roasted vegetables and grassy cheeses like Asiago or Parmesan.

The most common mistake is treating orzo like rice and walking away. It does not absorb water on a timer the way rice does. Boiled in open water it can overcook in under a minute past al dente and turn to mush, so taste it early and often.

The second mistake is letting drained orzo sit and clump. The grains glue together as they cool.

Toss it with a little oil or dressing right out of the colander, or for a cold salad, rinse it briefly to stop the cooking and wash off surface starch.

What to Substitute

For a brothy soup or a pilaf, acini di pepe, ditalini, or any tiny pasta steps in cleanly. They are all small shapes that ride a spoon, and pastina works the same way in a lighter soup.

For a salad or a risotto-style side, the closer swaps are pearl (Israeli) couscous, which is rounder and chewier, or fregola. Long-grain rice can stand in for pilaf dishes but will not give that pasta chew. Regular Moroccan couscous is too fine; it goes gummy next to orzo.

Buying and Storing Orzo

Orzo lives in the regular pasta aisle, sold dried in a box or bag, sometimes labeled risoni.

Look for bronze-die or imported brands if you want a rougher surface that grips sauce better; the boxes often say trafilata al bronzo. Whole-wheat and gluten-free versions behave nearly the same, though gluten-free orzo gets sticky faster, so undercook it slightly.

Dried orzo keeps about two years in a sealed container in a cool, dark cupboard. Once the box is open, pour it into a jar so it does not go stale or pick up cabinet odors, and toss it if you ever spot pantry-moth webbing.

Cooked orzo holds three to four days in the fridge but drinks up any dressing or broth around it and softens.

If you are making a soup ahead, like a big batch of New York Cupboard Soup, cook the orzo separately and add it per bowl so it does not bloat and turn the leftovers to porridge.

For general boiling and timing advice, see the main pasta guide.

Quick facts

Where to find orzo pasta: Orzo pasta is usually found in the pasta section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

orzo面食

British (UK) term

Pasta, orzo

en français

orzo

en español

la pasta orzo

Recipes using orzo pasta

There are 68 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 68 orzo pasta recipes

More orzo pasta recipes

• Baked Orzo with Kalamata Olives & Fresh Herb
• Baked Orzo with Kalamata Olives & Fresh Herbs
• Baked Orzo with Peppers & Cheese
• Broth Cooked Orzo with Lemon & Parsley
• Garlic Chicken with Orzo Noodles
• Lamb with Orzo Paste, Greek Style
• Lentil-Pasta Soup
• Minestrone (Pressure Cooked)
• New York Cupboard Soup
• Orzo & Portabello Mushrooms
• Orzo & Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese
• Orzo Pasta Salad
• Orzo Salad
• Orzo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Orzo/Fresh Tomato Sauce
• Provencal Chicken Breasts with Rosemary Orzo
• Quick Beef Soup
• Quick Bulghur with Pasta
• Quick Orzo Salad
• Shrimp Saute with Orzo