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Home » Recipes » Pasta

Lemon Parmesan Orzo - Instant Pot

Published July 18, 2019 Updated September 22, 2020 By Meeta Arora 12 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

1.6K shares
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Easy Lemon Parmesan Orzo Pasta
Easy Lemon Parmesan Orzo Pasta

Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo pasta with garlic, cherry tomatoes and parsley is a perfect side dish. It is very quick and easy to make pressure cooker orzo pasta! 

Lemon Parmesan Orzo with tomatoes in a green bowl

Whenever I am bored of rice and want to change things up, my first thought is to make orzo pasta for an easy side dish. It is a perfect side with baked chicken or salmon. My daughter loves orzo pasta too. She calls it rice pasta.

The best part - this orzo pasta side dish cooks pretty quickly in the instant pot. It can be cooked while you are making the main dish on the stove or in the oven.  It is also very versatile - I added lemon, garlic, parmesan and cherry tomatoes. You can add other veggies such as bell peppers, asparagus, broccoli, etc. We also love to make Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad with this orzo.

If you like it creamy, add heavy cream and your favorite cheese to make it more comforting. So good!

What is orzo pasta?

Orzo is a rice shaped pasta made with semolina flour, which is made from durum wheat. As orzo pasta is made from durum wheat, it is not gluten-free.

Orzo can be served and cooked very similar to rice. As it is a type of pasta, you can also cook it the traditional way pasta is cooked and stir it in sauce. Or make it like we are making here as a one-pot recipe in the pressure cooker.

Orzo can be served hot or cold, as a salad or side dish.

How to make Instant Pot Orzo?

Let's start with gathering the ingredients. This recipe is very versatile, so if you don't have one ingredient, it is totally fine to skip or substitute.

Ingredients to make Garlic Parmesan Orzo in instant pot

Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat it. Add butter and orzo pasta. Toast the orzo for a couple of minutes until some grains turn light brown in color.

Toasting the orzo is completely optional, however I feel it adds a wonderful taste to the end result.

Orzo in instant pot
Orzo cooked in instant pot in a ladle
Broth with orzo in instant pot
Parmesan and parsley over orzo pasta

Add the garlic and broth. You can use vegetable or chicken broth based on your preference. You can also cook the pasta in water.

Pressure cook for just 3 minutes, then quick release the pressure.

Add the flavors - lemon juice, parmesan, parsley, and halved cherry tomatoes. Stir them in and let the pasta rest for a few minutes.

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Orzo with Parmesan and Tomatoes

And the orzo pasta is ready to be enjoyed.

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Orzo with Parmesan and Tomatoes

Serve it with a side of baked chicken or salmon. Perfect meal...yum!

Check out other instant pot pasta recipes:

  • Spinach Artichoke Lasagna
  • Penne in Tomato Cream Sauce
  • Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce
Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
Lemon Parmesan Orzo with tomatoes in a green bowl

Lemon Parmesan Orzo in Instant Pot

Meeta Arora
Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo pasta with garlic, cherry tomatoes and parsley is a perfect side dish. It is very quick and easy to make pressure cooker orzo pasta! 
4.89 from 26 votes
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Servings: 6
Calories: 264
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Nut-free, Vegetarian
Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil
  • 1 ½ cup Orzo
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 ¾ cups Broth or Water
  • 1 cup Parmesan grated
  • 3 tablespoon Parsley chopped
  • 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes washed and sliced in half (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Black Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Start the instant pot in Sauté mode and let it heat. Add butter and orzo pasta. Saute for about 3 minutes until some orzo pieces turn brown. Keep stirring continuously, else it can burn.
  • Add garlic and stir it in with the toasted orzo.
  • Add broth and stir well. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position. 
  • Pressure cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. When the cooking time is done, quick release the pressure manually. 
  • Open the instant pot, then add parmesan, parsley, cherry tomatoes and lemon juice. Stir well and let it sit for 2-3 mins.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Lemon Parmesan Orzo is ready to be enjoyed.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 13gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 340mgPotassium: 263mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 530IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 218mgIron: 1mg
Keyword instant pot orzo, lemon parmesan orzo, pressure cooker orzo
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol says

    December 20, 2021 at 5:30 am

    Made this for dinner and it was a hit! We added pre-cooked peppered chicken strips to the instant pot and served as the main course. Also, served with grilled eggplant on the side. This is one we will have again!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      December 23, 2021 at 6:35 am

      Hi Carol - So glad to hear you enjoyed the orzo. Thank you for sharing back!

      Reply
  2. Sam C. says

    February 12, 2021 at 9:50 am

    How would I cook this if wanting to add asparagus?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      December 23, 2021 at 6:39 am

      Hi Sam - You can cut the asparagus into 2inch pieces, and add it after the garlic and pressure cook it along with the orzo. However if the asparagus is thin, then I would suggest to sauté it separately, and add it in at the end after the orzo is cooked.

      Reply
  3. Lorie says

    January 09, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    I love this dish and so simple. Is the calories per serving (6 servings) or total?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      January 11, 2021 at 4:21 pm

      Thanks Lorie. The calories are per serving.

      Reply
  4. Ivon Claros says

    November 11, 2020 at 11:18 am

    I had to add 1 more minute for cooking the pasta on my Pot - but otherwise it turned out great thank you!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      November 13, 2020 at 9:12 am

      Hi Ivon - Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing the change you made!

      Reply
  5. Bonnie says

    February 17, 2020 at 8:21 am

    Delicious! I actually added more garlic and also broccoli instead of tomatoes since I didn’t have. So many options with this recipe! Thank you!!

    Reply
  6. Cyndi Floyd says

    November 17, 2019 at 8:02 pm

    This turned out wonderful! I really enjoyed all of the flavors, thank you for the recipe! I was want to note that it was a tad bit too garlic-y for my personal taste, so next time I make it, I will use a bit less garlic. Xoxo

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      December 02, 2019 at 7:25 am

      Hi Cyndi - Happy to hear you enjoyed the orzo. Thank you for experience as it will help other readers 🙂

      Reply
  7. caryl says

    August 06, 2019 at 7:53 am

    I made this last night and it is delicious! I added black olives at the end for more color.

    Reply

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Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. Here you will find easy & delicious recipes using Instant Pot & Air Fryer.

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