Zucchini Orzotto with Lemon

This Creamy Zucchini Orzo is a one-pot side dish that’s giving classic risotto a run for its money! With shredded zucchini and al dente orzo pasta swimming in a lemony mascarpone sauce, it’s the most comforting way to eat your vegetables.

I love my comfort foods with sneaky veggies hidden inside, which is why you’ll find me digging into a bowl of this zucchini orzo when my cozy cravings hit. It’s like a creamy and comforting summer side dish taken way up a notch, with garden-fresh shredded zucchini and al dente orzo pasta swimming in the most luxurious and comforting lemon mascarpone sauce. It’s always impressive on date nights and still simple and casual enough to serve for everyday dinners!

What makes this side dish super special is that it uses the orzotto method, which is the same way you would cook a traditional risotto recipe. Honestly, though, zucchini orzotto is way better because pasta is so much more satisfying and even cooks faster than rice.

Table of Contents:

• 🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
• 🍚 Why you'll love this Zucchini Orzotto
• 🥘 What you need for this recipe
• 📋 How to make Zucchini Orzo with Lemon
• Storage & Reheating Tips:
• 💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Pairing
• 📖 Recipe
• To do:
• ⭐ Reviews

🎥 Watch the video of this recipe

@emily.eggers

zucchini orzotto with mascarpone & lemon🍋 recipe below **serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side** Ingredients * 1 tablespoon olive oil * 1 tablespoon butter * 4 cloves garlic, minced * 1 cup orzo * 2 zucchini, shredded * 1 cup chicken stock * 1.5 teaspoon salt * 1-2 tablespoon mascarpone * Juice of 1/2 lemon Steps 1. Heat a medium-sized pot over low heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil plus 1 tablespoon of butter. Allow butter to melt completely. 2. Add in the 4 minced cloves of garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, but not toasted. Add in the 1 cup of uncooked orzo pasta. Stir to coat the orzo in the oil and butter and gently toast for 30 secs-1 minute. 3. Add about 1/4 cup of chicken stock to the pot and stir to combine, making sure no orzo or garlic is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Continue stirring with the heat on medium, until the orzo begins to absorb the broth. Once the broth is mostly absorbed, add another 1/4 cup of chicken stock and repeat. 4. Once half of your chicken stock is added in, add the shredded zucchini. Stir to combine. While the zucchini cooks, it will release some moisture into the orzo, so continue stirring over medium heat for another 5 minutes. 5. Add all of the remaining chicken stock (about 1/2 a cup) along with 1.5 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (always taste and adjust as needed). Stir to combine and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until orzo is cooked all the way through. 6. Mix in 1 or 2 tablespoons of Mascarpone cheese and continue stirring until it is completely melted into the orzo. 7. At this point, if the orzo is still very soupy, you may wish to simmer on high while stirring to reduce some of the liquid. This is optional as some people may prefer the looser texture. 8. Crack in some fresh black pepper along with the juice of 1/2 a lemon and stir to combine. Take one final taste and adjust for salt, lemon, or pepper as desired. 9. Serve zucchini orzo hot and garnish with more black pepper and some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

♬ Theme From A Summer Place - Percy Faith

🍚 Why you'll love this Zucchini Orzotto

• Sneaky Veggies! Tucking shredded zucchini into a rich, creamy, and tangy mascarpone sauce makes eating your veggies a breeze.
• Quick & Easy. It doesn’t get much easier than simmering all of the lemon zucchini orzo ingredients in a pot, then digging in less than 30 minutes later.
• Always Impressive. Just like the traditional risotto we know and love, this creamy lemon orzo always leaves your family and friends impressed.

🥘 What you need for this recipe

Ingredients

• Olive Oil - Or use another neutral high-heat oil, like avocado oil.
• Butter - Unsalted butter is best! If all you have is salted butter, just omit the extra salt from the recipe.
• Garlic - Use fresh garlic cloves for the very best flavor. Jarred garlic just doesn’t cut it!
• Orzo - I love how orzo makes this risotto-style recipe extra satisfying, but you could use risotto rice (arborio or carnaroli rice) as a substitute if you want. Just cook it for slightly longer and have some extra broth on hand. To make this with another small pasta shape, like ditalini, pastina, or elbow pasta, follow the instructions as written! Just test the pasta before serving to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.
• Zucchini - There are a million ways to use up your fresh summer zucchini (looking at you, spaghetti alla nerano), but this easy side dish is one of my favorites. All out of zucchini? Try shredded yellow squash or carrots, frozen green peas, or diced tomatoes instead. Just know that you may need more liquid depending on the veggies you’re using. 
• Chicken Stock - The salty, savory taste of chicken stock is hard to beat, but vegetable stock is your next best option. You can also use water, though you will likely need to add more salt at the end.
• Salt - Always taste the dish before adding extra salt.
• Mascarpone - Or use an equal amount of cream cheese, crème fraîche, sour cream, or heavy cream.
• Lemon Juice - Juice the lemon yourself for the brightest, tangiest pop of flavor in the sauce.

See recipe card for quantities.

Tools and Equipment:

• Medium Pot
• Wooden Spoon
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Box Grater

📋 How to make Zucchini Orzo with Lemon

Step 1: Cook the Orzo

To start, heat a medium-sized pot over low heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil plus 1 tablespoon of butter. Let the butter melt completely.

Sauté the 4 minced garlic cloves in the hot pan until they’re soft and fragrant, but not toasted. Add the uncooked orzo pasta. Stir to coat the orzo in the oil and butter, and gently toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pour ¼ cup of chicken stock into the pot and stir to combine while scraping any stuck orzo or garlic loose from the bottom. Stir until the orzo begins to absorb the broth. Once it’s mostly absorbed, add another ¼ cup of chicken stock.

After adding half of the chicken stock, stir in the shredded zucchini. Continue stirring for 5 minutes. The zucchini will soften and release moisture as it cooks, which will allow the orzo to finish cooking and absorb the garden-fresh flavors. 

Pour in the remaining chicken stock along with 1.5 teaspoons of kosher salt (always taste and adjust as needed). Stir to combine and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked all the way through.

Step 2: Build the Sauce

Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese into the sauce until it’s completely melted into the orzo.

If the orzo is looking very soupy, you can increase the heat to high while stirring continuously to reduce some of the liquid. Or, continue as is if you prefer a looser texture.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

Crack some fresh black pepper and spritz the juice of half a lemon over the orzo, then stir to combine. Taste the orzo and adjust the flavors, adding more salt, lemon, or pepper as desired.

Divide the zucchini orzotto between serving plates or bowls and garnish with extra black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Storage & Reheating Tips:

• Store in the Fridge: Once it’s cool to room temperature, transfer the leftover orzo to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Store in the Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let the leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
• How to Reheat: Add the leftover orzotto to a nonstick skillet and reheat over medium heat until heated through. Stir in a splash of cream or broth while reheating to help loosen the sauce, if needed.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Zucchini Orzo:

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📖 Recipe