Orzo with Tomatoes, Basil, and Gorgonzola

Recipe By ChicoGirl
Rating
Published Jun 28th
Prep 20m Cook 15m Additional - Ready In 35m
Servings 4 servings Calories 460

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

Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 12 leaves fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, or to taste

Cooking Directions

  1. 1 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.
  2. 2 In a mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, 1/2 of the fresh basil, garlic, and remaining olive oil.
  3. 3 Spoon the cooked orzo into a serving bowl. Top with tomato mixture, and sprinkle with Gorgonzola and remaining basil.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories 460
  • Carbohydrate 45.4 g
  • Cholesterol 45 mg
  • Fat 23.3 g
  • Fiber 3.2 g
  • Protein 17.2 g
  • Saturated Fat 9.2 g
  • Sodium 574.5 mg
  • Sugar 4.2 g

Reviews

  1. nixter Aug 31, 2010 09:40 PM
    I tried it as written and I would give it a three. Made again we used feta instead and added just a splash of balsamic vinegar to the tomato mixture. Much better that time. The gorgonzola was a little strong for me too.
  2. Lyn G. Mar 9, 2010 05:35 PM
    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.
  3. dizzygrltoo Sep 22, 2009 04:43 PM
    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. - Read more ...
  4. naples34102 Jul 6, 2009 08:36 PM
    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 - Read more ...
  5. Judith Kerr Jun 5, 2009 10:37 PM
    this is a winner. I always use Maytag blue cheese. The best part--this is a room temp dish so can be made ahead.
  6. griffinthecat Jun 3, 2009 05:33 PM
    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.
  7. PEGLYF Apr 14, 2009 11:30 PM
    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 - Read more ...
  8. SWEETJAM Mar 23, 2009 08:20 PM
    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 - Read more ...
  9. Cinda Mar 17, 2009 11:17 PM
    Great recipe! Very easy to follow. Both my husband and I loved it. It's also very healthy. Thank you.
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