This one-pan Creamy Lemon Orzo features simple ingredients like lemon, garlic, and thyme that, together, pack a real punch. It’s an easy weeknight side dish that can be made in less than 30 minutes!

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Recipe Notes

This recipe calls for dry white wine or light beer (my preference) to deglaze the pan after sautéing the shallots and garlic. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can replace it with more broth.
Thyme stems that are thin and tender can be chopped up along with the leaves. Any thick woody stems should be discarded after stripping off the leaves.
If you want more veggies, add chopped spinach, frozen peas, or small bites of broccoli to the orzo when there are about 3 minutes of cooking left.
If you notice the liquid cooking off too quickly, add more broth or water, 1/2 cup at a time, to maintain creaminess.
I like to serve this creamy lemon orzo with a simple protein like Pan Fried Chicken Thighs or Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin and veggies like Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots or Garlic Parmesan Asparagus.
If you want to make it a full meal but keep it one-pan, sauté diced chicken before the shallots and onion, then remove it from the pan to continue the recipe. Add the chicken back in when you add the broth.

Creamy Lemon Orzo

This one-pan Creamy Lemon Orzo features simple ingredients like lemon, garlic, and thyme that, together, pack a real punch. It's an easy weeknight side dish that can be made in less than 30 minutes!

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Author: Alicia S.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shallots finely diced
6 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or light beer optional, see notes
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
lemon zest from 1 lemon, see notes
1/4 cup lemon juice from 1 to 2 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped, see notes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Sauté the shallots until translucent and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
Pour in the wine or beer to deglaze the bottom of the pan scraping up any brown bits as you stir. Simmer for 30 seconds or until most of the liquid has cooked off.
Add the orzo and cook, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly toasted.
Add the broth, heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Increase the heat to high and bring everything to a boil, stirring often to avoid sticking. Then, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the orzo is cooked through. The sauce will thicken as it cools (see notes).

Notes

White Wine or Light Beer: Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or a light wheat beer. If you don’t want to use alcohol, use 1/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth instead.

Lemon Zest: Be sure to zest one of the lemons before juicing it.

Thyme: Tender thyme stems can be chopped and used along with the leaves. Remove any thick woody stems.

Sauce: How quickly the sauce thickens and cooks off will depend on how rapid your simmer is. If you notice that there is still a lot of cooking time left and not much liquid, add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, to maintain creaminess.