READY IN 35 mins

Orzo with Tomatoes, Basil, and Gorgonzola

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"A vegetarian friend of mine gave me this recipe, and it's always a hit! Makes a great side dish or light meal." — ChicoGirl

Directions

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the orzo pasta; cook and stir until the orzo has lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the onion, and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 1 clove of garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cover; simmer until the orzo is tender yet still a little firm to the bite, 12 to 14 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, 1/2 of the fresh basil, garlic, and remaining olive oil.
Spoon the cooked orzo into a serving bowl. Top with tomato mixture, and sprinkle with Gorgonzola and remaining basil.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 35 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jul 06, 2009

Hubby's remark at the dinner table was that this "needed something" and I agree. It needed the gorgonzola the recipe called for but I couldn't add because he doesn't like it. I didn't measure ingredients, just added to taste, and used chicken broth rather than vegetable. Three stars, average and kind of boring, the way I had to make it - and four stars had it been prepared the way the submitter intended with the gorgonzola.

—naples34102

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 22, 2009

I used Roma tomatoes and chicken broth due to availability. Other than that I made this as written. I found that I like Gorgonzola cheese but it was too over-whelming in this dish. 1/3 of that amount would have been plenty. I didn't appreciate the flavor of th orzo as much once it was browned. It did brown very quickly too so be careful. I used 1 average sized red onion and felt like I could have either chopped it smaller or used less of it. I wish the author specified what size or a quantity of this ingredient to use. Because the flavor of the cheese was so overpowering I added some leftover chicken breast. This didn't help much. The next time I make this I will reduce the amount of cheese by 2/3's and possibly the onion as well. I will also not brown the orzo.

—dizzygrltoo

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68 Ratings

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Mar 23, 2009

This recipe was very good. I'm giving it 5 stars because of ease and taste and the versatility I can foresee with this recipe. Exactly as written makes for a lovely vegetarian meal. I have been wanting to make this for a while, but Trader Joes has been out of Orzo and I kept forgetting to look for it at the regular market. Ok, back to the recipe. I didn't have any veggie broth, but I had chicken so I used that. It doesn't matter what liquid you use and the possibilities would be endless. The only other deviation was I didn't have Gorgonzola. I thought I did- we LOVE it, but I only had Feta. So in went the Feta. All else I kept the same except I used tomatoes out of my garden chopped and not cherry, but a tomato is a tomato, right? It was delish with the Feta and I could see adding in Kalamata olives to it for more of a Mediterranean flavor. I think you could also use mozzarella cheese for more of an Italian vibe. I will be making this again with the gorgonzola for sure plus playing around with some additional flavors. Thanks for sharing.

—SWEETJAM

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Apr 14, 2009

Made it as the recipe called for, except I couldn't find gorgonzolla cheese so used feta and used fat free chicken broth. It was WONDERFUL! My husband loved it! We'll make this again. One tip, keep a close eye on the orzo. I turned my back on it for a couple of minutes and almost burned it!

—PEGLYF

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Jun 03, 2009

Very tasty. I made a few modifications. I used mozzerella instead or gorgonzola and sage, dill, and chives instead of basil. I also only used a quarter of an onion, which is good because the onion was STRONG. My housemates eyes are watering from the onion.

—griffinthecat

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Jun 05, 2009

this is a winner. I always use Maytag blue cheese. The best part--this is a room temp dish, so can be made ahead.

—Judy Kerr

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Mar 09, 2010

My husband absolutely loved this recipe! I thought it was pretty good myself. My only suggestion is to add the tomatoes to the orzo in the last 2 minutes so it will take the edge off the raw tomato.

—Lyn G.

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Mar 26, 2009

My husband and I thought there was too much gorgonzola, I'll try it again but I will cut the cheese in half. For us it just took over the whole flavor of the dish.

—Kathy

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Nutrition

Calories
460 kcal
23%

Carbohydrates
45.4 g
15%

Cholesterol
45 mg
15%

Fat
23.3 g
36%

Fiber
3.2 g
13%

Protein
17.2 g
34%

Sodium
574 mg
23%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Orzo with Tomatoes, Basil, and Gorgonzola

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 460
Calories from Fat: 209

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23.3g 36 %
Saturated Fat 9.2g 46 %
Cholesterol 45mg 15 %
Sodium 574mg 23 %
** Potassium 288mg 8 %
Total Carbohydrates 45.4g 15 %
Dietary Fiber 3.2g 13 %
Protein 17.2g 34 %
** Sugars 4.2g
Vitamin A 23 %
Vitamin C 28 %
Calcium 32 %
Iron 22 %
** Thiamin < 1 %
** Niacin 26 %
** Vitamin B6 7 %
** Magnesium 14 %
** Folate 69 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.