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READY IN 23 mins

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Orzo

Read Reviews (154)

"Basil and sun-dried tomato add flavor and zing to this simple yet delicious pasta salad recipe. It's perfect for picnics, and great served warm or cold." — kgwen

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Original recipe makes 8 servings Change Servings

2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Place basil leaves and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor. Pulse 4 or 5 times until blended.
In a large bowl, toss together the orzo, basil-tomato mixture, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 8 mins
READY IN 23 mins

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This fabulous side dish is another example of "less is more" and "the simpler the better." No reason to change a thing here and, frankly, to do so would ruin the dish. Subtley flavored and pretty. Wonderful flavor, and I think to omit the Parmesan cheese would leave this sorely lacking. I can't comment on how this tastes the next day as I made this scaled to 2 servings and hubby and I ate every grain. In fact, I served this with "Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Rollups" tonight, also from this site, and I'll have to make this orzo again tomorrow night as hubby requested we have this same meal again tomorrow night! Thank you, kgwen, for your delicious recipe. We were in culinary heaven tonight!

—naples34102

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 18, 2011

This recipe tasted nice. I made a few changes, including boiling the orzo in vegetable stock to give it extra flavor and adding feta instead of parmesan cheese to give it a more Greek taste. I also added pine nuts to give it a bit of a crunch!

—GAPATEL

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209 Ratings

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Jul 07, 2008

As written this recipe may be a bit bland, but the base of the recipe is quite good. Read a few reviews and adjusted to personal taste: (1)Doubled the tomato/basil mixture, (2) added the zest and juice of one lemon (3) added a splash of red wine vinegar (4) added kalamata olives, (5) added a bunch of fresh parsley, (6) added about a teaspoon of dried organoe,(7) and finally topped it off with some feta cheese once it throughly cooled. Great!

—pinkypink

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Sep 08, 2007

This could be a 5 star recipe. I did not add any olive oil. The oil packes sund dried tomoatoes in enough. I even dumped some of this oil out. I added about a 1/3 cup red wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. It always tasted better the next day. Net time I will add black olives.

—Foodie

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Jan 04, 2010

Wow! This is nice. If you haven't cooked with sun dried tomatoes before, you are in for a treat! They are very different from canned and fresh tomatoes. They have a little chew to them and are a bit sweeter compared to fresh. Next time I might add a little sauteed garlic or Italian sausage (sounds yummy just thinking about it!). If you are still unsure about using sun dried tomatoes or if you aren't a tomato lover, then try them in this dish or on a homemade pizza. Trust me!

—RussellC

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Dec 11, 2008

Make the pesto sauce ahead of time and add the salt, and pepper right to the food processor or blender with the sun dried tomatoes and basil. Set this aside until you cook the pasta. Once the pasta is drained but still hot, try adding feta cheese and oilive oil(this will give it a creamy consistency but omit the parm cheese). Finally add then the pesto sauce. The result will be creamy with mingling flavors: good served hot or cold.

—LMF443

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Aug 16, 2007

This recipe is a family favorite. We have made it twice since last week when I first came across it. The first time I halved the orzo but kept the rest the same and it had perfect flavor. The second time I made it for dinner and for a heavier meal I made it with bow-ties upping the amount of sun-dried tomatoes. We love this!!! This is a family favorite! Thank you so much!!

—Metta Karuna

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May 27, 2009

I have made this with parmesan and with feta, both are very good, but I think the feta wins overall in our house. When using feta, I sprinkle it on right before serving, then with leftover I add it to the orzo after it cools. I drain my sundried tomatoes (doubling the amount called for) and cut them into 1/2 inch strips, chiffonade the basil and add kalamata olives. We personally like the texture and distinct tastes better. This is a great dish as you can serve warm with dinner as a side dish, and have a great cold salad for lunch the next day.

—tsgma

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Nutrition

Calories
255 kcal
13%

Carbohydrates
38.8 g
13%

Cholesterol
7 mg
2%

Fat
6.9 g
11%

Fiber
1.9 g
8%

Protein
10 g
20%

Sodium
275 mg
11%

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

Nutritional Information

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Orzo

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 255
Calories from Fat: 62

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.9g 11 %
Saturated Fat 2.1g 10 %
Cholesterol 7mg 2 %
Sodium 275mg 11 %
Potassium 163mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrates 38.8g 13 %
Dietary Fiber 1.9g 8 %
Protein 10g 20 %
** Sugars 2.1g
Vitamin A 5 %
Vitamin C 9 %
Calcium 12 %
Iron 19 %
** Thiamin 1 %
Niacin 27 %
** Vitamin B6 1 %
Magnesium 13 %
Folate 61 %

* 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.