Looking for a quick and easy one pot pasta dish with a fresh, summer flavour? This light chorizo orzo is packed with healthy vegetables and ready in 30 minutes. Bonus – it also makes perfect leftovers!
One Pot Orzo
I love a one pan meal. Limited washing up and no juggling multiple cooking methods or appliances. This easy one pot chorizo orzo is such a great meal for those evenings when you just can’t be bothered. Toss everything in a pan, stir in some stock and let in bubble away.
I use frozen peas and tinned sweetcorn for this tasty orzo, but the beauty of this dish is its so easy to switch up. Use whatever chopped veggies you have in the fridge or freezer. This recipe is also a great base for a number of different meals. Use bacon instead of chorizo, or leave out the meat entirely and change up the vegetables. Stir in any leftovers you have – almost like the orzo version of fried rice.
I make my one-pot Chorizo Orzo in my trusty Always Pan.
Ingredient Notes
The full list is in the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful hints about key ingredients to help you make the best Chorizo Orzo.
- Chorizo – use mild or spicy chorizo depending on your personal tastes.
- Orzo – A small pasta shape which looks almost like large grains of rice. You can also use small pastina shapes like ditalini or mini shells.
- Stock – or broth. Chicken or vegetable stock both work well.
- Vegetables – In this recipe I use frozen peas, canned corn, bell pepper and red onion, but you can easily switch the veg up. For best results you want all the ingredients to be a similar size to the cooked orzo, so chop larger vegetables accordingly.
- To Garnrish – Fresh chopped parsley or basil, and plenty of grated parmesan cheese.
Serving and Storing
Chorizo Orzo is designed to be a complete meal and doesn’t need any sides, but a green salad or some crusty bread wouldn’t go amiss.
Leftover chorizo orzo can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve chilled or reheat in the microwave until piping hot. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day.
Use this recipe as a base and customise it depending on your own tastes or what you have to hand. Bacon or Pancetta make a great swap for the chorizo. Add cooked chicken, prawns or sausage. Use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, just make sure to chop everything into small bite-sized pieces.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do! Please leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @carrieskitchen_ if you make it!
More Quick and Easy Pasta Dishes:
Chorizo Orzo with Peas and Sweetcorn
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 g orzo
- 100 g chorizo
- 200 g tin of sweetcorn drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 Red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 350 ml chicken stock made from one stock cube
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ lemon, juiced
- bunch chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Dice the chorizo, red pepper and onion into bite sized pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet or pan over a medium heat and add the chorizo, diced pepper and onion.
- Fry for 4-5 minutes until the chorizo starts to release its oils and the onions are just softening, then add the peas, sweetcorn and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the orzo, making sure to mix well so that it gets a coating of all the cooking juices.
- Mix a tablespoon of tomato paste with 350ml of hot chicken stock then pour over the pasta and vegetables. Stir well.
- Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirringly regularly (or the orzo will stick to the pan) until the orzo is tender and the stock has reduced. You can add a dash more water if needed or if you like it saucy. Stir in the lemon juice and add salt to taste if needed.
- Garnish with chopped parsley to serve.
Nutrition
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