Easy Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo
Easy Instant Pot Lemon Orzo is a fresh and flavorful pasta dish with fresh herbs and bright green peas. This quick and easy meal is perfect for spring and summer.
This delightful Instant Pot lemon Parmesan orzo with fresh herbs can be made in under 15 minutes as a tasty seasonal side dish with grilled fish or chicken, or served as a vegetarian main dish.
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Orzo is such a fun and versatile little pasta that often gets overlooked. Orzo looks like rice but it’s a quick-cooking pasta that makes a great side dish or can be served as a main dish.
Instant Pot orzo is quick and simple to make and can be served with a variety of sauces or toppings. When I’m looking for something with lots of flavor, I love to make this Instant Pot orzo with lemon and herbs.
Lemon has such a bright refreshing taste and Parmesan cheese makes the orzo pasta creamy and delicious like my Instant Pot risotto with parmesan.
The addition of green peas adds a fresh flavor that’s like enjoying a bit of springtime in a bowl!
More Delicious Pasta Recipes:
What Makes Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo Great?
Fresh and flavorful food doesn’t have to be complicated. This pressure cooker Parmesan orzo is a testament to the incredible flavor of simple foods.
You simply don’t need a lot of ingredients to create a dish that is full of flavor and completely satisfying.
In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients for this lemon Parmesan orzo in your pantry already, but the key to making this recipe great is the fresh lemon zest and juice.
Sure, you can use bottled lemon juice, but it will not have the same intense, bright flavor of fresh lemons.
The second secret to the great flavor of this pressure cooker Parmesan orzo is frozen peas.
Allowing them to just heat through from the heat of the pasta will keep them crisp and flavorful. You definitely do not want to substitute mushy canned peas in this dish!
Finally, adding fresh herbs to the orzo is a great way to brighten the flavor and take it to the next level. You can easily swap out the herbs, depending on what’s in season, to make the recipe fresh and new all year round.
During the Spring and Summer, I love to add fresh parsley and basil. Fresh mint could also be a tasty addition!
How to Make Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo
It’s really easy to make Instant Pot orzo with lemons and herbs.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Unsalted Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Broth (such as chicken or vegetable)
- Dry Orzo Pasta
- Lemons
- Black Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese
- Frozen Peas
- Fresh Herbs of choice (I used basil and parsley)
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Saute the aromatics. First, you’ll melt butter in the Instant Pot using the saute function. Add diced onion and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until onion starts to soften and turn translucent.
Add minced garlic and stir to combine before canceling the saute function.
Deglaze and season. Next, you’ll deglaze the pan by adding the broth and using a spoon to scrape up any stuck-on bits. Add the lemon zest and black pepper.
Add pasta and cook. Next, you’ll add in the pasta and cook at high pressure for 4 minutes followed by a quick release of pressure.
Add the butter and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Add lemon juice and peas. Next you’ll add in the lemon juice and the frozen peas. Cover for a few minutes and allow the heat of the pasta to warm the peas through.
Add fresh herbs and serve. Last, you’ll stir in any fresh herbs you wish and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes and Adaptations:
- You can serve this as a standalone vegetarian meal, or add some crumbled Italian sausage, grilled chicken or shrimp, or baked fish.
- This yields four generous servings (as a main dish) or six smaller servings (as a side dish).
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
- Microplane grater for zesting the lemon and grating the parmesan
Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo
This lemon parmesan orzo is full of bright flavors, perfect for spring and summer! And since it cooks in the Instant Pot, it's a quick and easy meal.
Ingredients
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 3 1/4 cup broth (such as chicken or vegetable)
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- Zest of 2 lemons (approx. 2 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Juice of two lemons (approx. 4 TBSP)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup Chopped fresh herbs of choice (I used basil and parsley)
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Use the Saute function to melt the butter, then add diced onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 3-5 minutes, until onion starts to soften and turn translucent.
- Add minced garlic and stir to combine. Press Cancel to turn off the Saute function.
- Add broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add orzo, lemon zest, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Close the ldi and set the vent to the sealed position. Using the Manual/Pressure Cook button, select a cook time of 4 minutes at high pressure.
- When the cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure. After the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
- Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and parmesan cheese, stirring to melt.
- Add in lemon juice and frozen peas, allowing the heat from the pasta to warm the peas.
- Just before serving, add chopped fresh herbs. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- You can serve this as a standalone vegetarian meal, or add some crumbled Italian sausage, grilled chicken or shrimp, or baked fish.
- This yields four servings as a main dish or six smaller servings as a side dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 832Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 1017mgCarbohydrates: 117gFiber: 7gSugar: 17gProtein: 33g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Categories:
Appetizers & Sides, Easy Recipes, Main Dish, Pasta Recipes, Pressure Cooker {Instant Pot}, Side Dishes,
You mentioned in the email you could use asparagus – how long would you cook that versus the frozen peas?
Hi Melissa! If the asparagus is pretty thin, I would just cut it into segments and stir it in after the pasta cooks, and let it sit in with the pasta (with the lid on) for about 5-7 minutes to soften. If the asparagus is thicker, you could probably just cook it along with the pasta (place it on top of the pasta before cooking). Alternatively, you could cook the asparagus separately in a skillet or in the oven if you want more control over how tender or crisp it is! Enjoy! 🙂