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Orzo with broccoli; tasty vegetarian feast

It's one of my favorite pastas, orzo. And in a recipe I think orzo is fantastic to combine with broccoli. Sometimes we add chicken, but the orzo with broccoli in a vegetarian version is also very tasty. And with the idea that we regularly want to eat without meat in order to be sustainable, this is a vegetarian recipe for you. But you'll love it no less, I'm sure!

Table of contents

Vegetarian orzo with broccoli and cheese

Orzo actually looks a bit rice-like when you look at it, but it's a type of pasta. The children here thought the first time that they were getting rice with broccoli, because the orzo has a bit of that shape. But it's just a little bigger. Like I said, I think it's the tastiest pasta out there. Maybe because orzo is smaller than any other pasta, and that leaves more room for vegetables and the like 😉 . I even like it better than my spaghetti with meatballs and that says a lot. Broccoli goes well with orzo and because it is a very healthy vegetable, we eat it regularly. In addition, the children also really like broccoli.

Ingredients orzo with broccoli (4 persons)

You don't need a spectacular amount of different ingredients for this recipe. That makes it all the easier to prepare. This delicious pasta recipe can be on the table in half an hour.

  • 300 grams orzo (I use the one from La Molisana that I received from Kroon op het Werk)
  • 800 grams of broccoli
  • 2 onions
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 100 grams of grated cheese (I currently use 30+ cheeses due to my carbohydrate intake)
  • pinch of salt
  • stock cube
  • half a lemon
  • a little thyme (fresh is best, but dried thyme is also possible)

This is how you prepare the pasta with broccoli

First prepare the orzo with broccoli before you start cooking.

  • Chop the onions
  • Cut the broccoli into florets and also cut the fresh part of the stem of the broccoli into small pieces (I always save the dried part at the end for the goats and pigs here)
  • Squeeze the garlic
  • Remove the thyme leaves from the sprig if you are using fresh thyme and chop them finely

Put some oil in the wok and gently fry the onions with the garlic over a high heat. After a few minutes, add the thyme and the orzo and cook for another minute, still over a low heat. In the meantime, make about 600 ml stock with the stock cube in a pan, or remove hot water from the quooker. Add the stock to the orzo in the wok and bring to the boil with the lid on the pan. Then turn the fire down again.

The orzo takes about 12 minutes to cook. Turn the orzo regularly during cooking to prevent it from burning. If it threatens to become too dry, add a little extra water.

Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in a pan with a lid for about 8 minutes or about 3 minutes in the pressure cooker Although the pressure cooker is more useful for pot roast, you can also use it for cooking your vegetables of course. When the broccoli is al dente, drain it and add the broccoli to the wok with orzo, onion and garlic. Squeeze the lemon half over the wok and fry gently for another 2 minutes.

Add half of the cheese while stirring and season with some salt. The cheese will melt in no time and turn this orzo with broccoli recipe into true comfort food!

Tip for serving and garnishing the orzo with broccoli

Serve the other half of the cheese separately so that everyone on their plate can sprinkle over the orzo with broccoli. Serve with a slice of lemon on the plate for a nice picture and/or add some roasted sunflower seeds if you like. Also very tasty!

Tip:are you a fan of all kinds of pasta? La Molisana has many more tasty pastas than the orzo in its range. Well worth trying out.