This 4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe is simple to make, pairs wonderfully as a side dish to your weekly dinners and is comforting. Orzo pasta is cooked and mixed with freshly grated parmesan cheese and your favorite fresh herbs to create a creamy, cheesy side dish.

4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe

New Years was a relaxing, delicious holiday for Mike and I this year.

We started the night by watching a few of the kids countdowns on Netflix which were pretty cute.

hey even had the Care Bears counting down..talk about a walk down memory lane.

I love those kid countdowns because “midnight” comes and goes and the kids get to go to bed at a decent hour thinking they celebrated the New Year just like the adults do.

After we put the kids to bed we cooked a fancy dinner for ourselves to enjoy.

I always like having a partner in the kitchen and it is a fun date night to cook your meal together.

4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe in a bowl.

This year we made a caesar salad, lobster tails with garlic butter, garlic bread, freshly cooked green beans and this 4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe followed by a little dessert.

The meal turned out perfect and we had a quiet dinner paired with white wine.

The perfect way to ring in 2016.

When I was putting together our menu for dinner I knew I wanted to add this 4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo to the mix. It is so comforting, cheesy, creamy and pairs really well as a side dish at dinner.

Orzo is one of my favorite little pastas to use in recipes. I often make this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad, Greek Orzo Pasta Salad and this Tomato Feta Orzo Salad.

I knew I had to share this recipe with you guys because it is so simple, uses only 4 ingredients and is popular with the kids too.

The leftovers reheat well too so if you make a big batch you can save some for later.

I boil my orzo pasta in either vegetable or chicken broth when making this 4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe to add flavor to the dish and pasta but you could also use water in place of the broth.

Once you cook the orzo pasta you will add the cheese, salt and pepper and fresh herbs, stir and enjoy.

4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe with spoon.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS 4 INGREDIENT CHEESY ORZO RECIPE?

ORZO PASTA {you can use gluten-free or whole wheat orzo}
VEGETABLE OR CHICKEN BROTH
FRESHLY GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
FRESH PARSLEY

4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe

Name: 4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 cup orzo pasta {you can use gluten-free or whole wheat orzo}; 16 ounces of vegetable broth {or chicken broth}; 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese; Dash of salt and pepper; 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley {or your favorite fresh herb}

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta {you can use gluten-free or whole wheat orzo}
16 ounces of vegetable broth {or chicken broth}
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Dash of salt and pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley {or your favorite fresh herb}

Instructions

In a large pot boil the vegetable broth, add the orzo, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 12-14 minutes {or until the pasta is tender and liquid is absorbed}, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and the freshly chopped parsley {or herb of your choice}.
Serve warm.

Notes

Other herbs that would be good in this dish would be basil, Italian parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosemary and more.
You could try other freshly grated cheeses in place of the parmesan like gouda, share cheddar, mozzarella or even smoked mozzarella.
Try adding some cooked vegetables into this dish like cooked peas, carrots or broccoli.

4 Ingredient Cheesy Orzo Recipe