This one-pot creamy lemon courgette orzo is so incredibly delicious, which is surprising given how short the ingredient list is. It gets a big boost of flavour from caramelised lemons. The resultant lemon-infused olive oil is then used to fry the courgettes, which develop some caramelisation of their own. The rest of the dish comes together with garlic, parmesan and mascarpone for an easy midweek dinner.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- Toast Your Orzo!
- The Magic of Caramelised Lemons
- Picking The Right Courgettes
- The Creamy Sauce: Mascarpone and Parmesan
- Why This Creamy Lemon Courgette Orzo Is The Perfect Midweek Meal
- How to Serve This Creamy Lemon Courgette Orzo
- Variations and Add-Ons
- Love Orzo? You’ll Love These Recipes
Ingredient Breakdown
- Dried Orzo: Orzo is a type of pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. It’s perfect for soaking up the creamy sauce in this dish.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used for its rich flavour, adding depth to the dish.
- Lemon: Caramelised to bring out its natural sweetness and provide a vibrant, tangy flavour that permeates the entire dish.
- Baby Courgettes: These are smaller and more tender than regular courgettes, perfect for quick cooking and absorbing the lemony flavour.
- Garlic Cloves: Adds a robust flavour and aromatic depth to the dish.
- Vegetable or Chicken Stock: Used to cook the orzo, adding an extra layer of flavour.
- Mascarpone: This creamy Italian cheese adds a luxurious texture and subtle sweetness to the sauce.
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano: These hard cheeses add a nutty, salty flavour, enriching the overall taste of the dish.
Toast Your Orzo!
The key to creating a flavour-packed dish out of just a few ingredients is maximising the flavour of each one. For this recipe, this begins with the orzo, which you first toast in a dry pan. This small step yields big flavour dividends. It enhances the orzo’s natural nuttiness, giving it a deeper, more complex flavour. As the grains toast, they take on a beautiful golden hue. Their texture becomes slightly firmer, which helps them maintain their shape and bite when cooked in the sauce. This adds a delightful bite and stops the orzo from getting mushy, which is especially important in a one-pot dish. In short, toasting your orzo adds an extra dimension of flavour that makes the final dish more robust and satisfying. It’s a simple technique that elevates this creamy lemon courgette orzo to new heights.
The Magic of Caramelised Lemons
This creamy lemon courgette orzo gets a huge boost of flavour from caramelised lemons. This involves shallow frying thin lemon slices in extra-virgin olive oil until caramelised and brown at the edges. From a flavour standpoint, this does two important things. First, shallow frying the lemon slices concentrates their natural sugars. This brings out a sweet, complex flavour that tames their inherent tartness, adding a complex citrus note to the dish. Second, caramelising the lemon slices infuses the extra-virgin olive oil with intense lemony goodness. This creates a perfect base for frying the courgettes. The courgettes soak up the aromatic oil, adding an extra layer of flavour to the dish.
Picking The Right Courgettes
Choosing the right courgettes can make or break this recipe. It should come as no surprise that this recipe is best when courgettes are in season as they are now in the UK, but even then, not all courgettes are created equal. Baby courgettes are best. They’re sweeter and more tender than regular courgettes. Moreover, their smaller size means they cook quickly and evenly and caramelise beautifully in the lemon-infused olive oil.
That said, this recipe absolutely works with regular courgettes, too. The smaller the better: smaller courgettes tend to be less watery, and thus have a more concentrated flavour, than massive ones. Regardless of the type you use, ensure they are fresh, firm and free of blemishes for the best results.
The Creamy Sauce: Mascarpone and Parmesan
The combination of mascarpone and parmigiano reggiano creates a rich, creamy sauce that perfectly coats the orzo. Mascarpone adds a luxurious, velvety texture, while parmigiano reggiano brings a sharp, nutty flavour. Stirring these cheeses into the cooked orzo and courgettes ensures that every bite is packed with creamy, cheesy goodness.
Why This Creamy Lemon Courgette Orzo Is The Perfect Midweek Meal
- One Pot Dish: This recipe is a one-pot wonder, meaning minimal washing up at the end. This simplicity makes it an excellent choice for busy weeknights when you don’t want to spend extra time in the kitchen.
- Meat-Free: The creamy lemon courgette orzo is a fantastic meat-free option, perfect for those looking to reduce their meat consumption during the week. Despite being vegetarian, it remains rich and satisfying, making it a great choice for everyone, including those who usually prefer meat in their meals.
- Quick and Easy: This dish is ready in about 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights. The simple steps and short cooking time mean you can have a delicious, home-cooked meal on the table without a lot of fuss.
- Versatile: The creamy lemon courgette orzo is incredibly versatile. You can easily adapt the recipe to include other vegetables or proteins if desired.
How to Serve This Creamy Lemon Courgette Orzo
This dish is best enjoyed fresh off the stove, when the orzo is perfectly creamy and the flavours are at their peak. Serve it in shallow bowls, topped with extra caramelised lemon for a burst of citrusy sweetness. A simple green salad on the side makes for a complete and satisfying meal.
Variations and Add-Ons
While this recipe is delicious as it is, there are several ways to add your twist to it:
- Add Protein: Grilled chicken, prawns or crispy pancetta would complement the creamy, lemony flavours perfectly.
- Extra Vegetables: Feel free to add other vegetables like spinach, peas or asparagus for added nutrition and colour.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs like basil, parsley or dill can add a burst of freshness.
Love Orzo? You’ll Love These Recipes
If you’re a fan of orzo, you’re in for a treat! Here are some other delicious orzo recipes that you might enjoy:
- One-Pot Thai Curry Chicken Orzo: Thai curry meets pasta bake? Unusual yet delicious! This fusion dish brings together juicy roasted chicken thighs with perfectly cooked orzo simmered in a rich aromatic Thai red curry sauce.
- King Prawn Orzo with Tomato and Saffron: A delicious, prawn-y orzo, made with the most incredible homemade prawn stock. It’s a labour of love but it’s well worth it.
- Kale, Cannellini Bean and Orzo Soup: This delicious, comforting soup is packed with hearty greens, creamy cannellini beans and quick-cooking orzo. It’s nutrient-dense, full of flavour and so easy to make, which makes it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Creamy Lemon Courgette Orzo
This creamy lemon courgette orzo is so incredibly delicious, which is surprising given how short the ingredient list is. It gets a big boost of flavour from caramelised lemons. The resultant lemon-infused olive oil is then used to fry the courgettes, which develop some caramelisation of their own, and the rest of the dish comes together with garlic, parmesan and mascarpone.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 175g dried orzo
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon, thinly sliced
- 350g baby courgettes (or regular courgettes), sliced into ½ cm thick slices
- 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced or minced
- 500ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 60g mascarpone
- 25g parmigiano reggiano or grana padano, grated
Instructions
- Tip the orzo into a large, dry frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Toast, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, then transfer to a bowl. Note: some grains will be browner than others–that’s ok!
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in the same frying pan set over a medium-high heat.
- Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer and cook until caramelised and browned at the edges, then flip and cook until beginning to caramelise and brown on the bottom, around 5 minutes.
- Transfer the caramelised lemon slices to a chopping board, leaving the now lemon-infused olive oil in the frying pan.
- Heat the lemon-infused olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the courgettes and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until browned in places, then add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
- Add the toasted orzo and stock and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently to ensure nothing sticks, until the orzo is almost done. If the orzo is still hard once the stock has evaporated, add boiling water as needed.
- Add the mascarpone and parmigiano reggiano and turn the heat down to low. Stir until everything melts together and the creamy sauce nicely coats the orzo, then remove the frying pan from the heat. If need be, add a splash of boiling water to loosen.
- Finely chop the caramelised lemon. Stir half of the caramelised lemon into the orzo. Taste and adjust the salt level to your liking.
- To serve, divide the orzo between bowls and top with the remaining caramelised lemon – enjoy.
Amazing! Made this tonight and was pleasantly surprised by all the flavours and the depth of this dish.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you for the positive feedback 🙂