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This easy One Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe is perfect for busy weeknight meals. It's flavorful, satisfying, and it's ready in 30 minutes or less! Your family will love it!
Life is busy and most of us are looking for quick, easy, and filling meals to feed our families. However, that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice taste.
Simple meals can be full of flavor! This One-Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe fits the bill and will make your weeknight complete.
Plus, it'll be on your table in no time! I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so I'm a big fan of 30-minute meals. They're anything, but boring!
We get to enjoy Portobello Vegan Fajitas, Hearty Soups, Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, Salads, Mac n' Cheese, and many one-pot meals.
Is orzo rice or pasta?
Orzo looks like rice, but it's actually wheat-based pasta that is shaped like rice. So, you can't interchange them in many recipes because they cook up differently.
Ingredients neededs for Tomato Orzo
- The star of the show is the Orzo!
- For the base, you'll need Olive Oil, Garlic, Dried Oregano, Crushed Red Pepper and White Wine.
- To make the sauce, you'll need Diced Tomatoes, Vegetable Broth, and Salt.
- Finish with Capers and Fresh Basil or Parsley. That's it!
How to make Tomato Orzo in One Pot
- 1 - Heat oil in a large skillet/pot over medium heat. Add garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until garlic is lightly golden.
- 2 - Add the orzo and stir to coat. Give the orzo a few minutes to lightly toast. Stir occasionally.
- 3 - Pour in the wine and cook until the liquid mostly cooks off.
- 4 - Now add the diced tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.
- 5 - Add the broth and salt. Cover and gently simmer until liquid has mostly cooked down and orzo is tender. Uncover the last few minutes of cook time.
- 6 - Remove from heat and stir in the capers and fresh basil. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Let the orzo sit uncovered for 1-2 minutes. This will give it time to thicken up.
Success Tips
- To make this kid-friendly, reduce or omit the crushed red pepper.
- The wine can be omitted if you don't have it - just skip the step entirely.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Don't simmer too high or the liquid will cook down before the orzo is finished cooking.
Serving Ideas
Tomato Orzo goes well with Vegan Caesar Salad, a big piece of Artisan Bread, and a glass of white wine. Top it with Vegan Parmesan, fresh-cracked pepper, and more fresh basil or parsley.
MORE ONE POT MEALS TO ENJOY:
I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you make this One Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
One Pot Tomato Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic , minced
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt , more to taste
- 1 ½ cups orzo pasta , uncooked
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes , canned
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth , low sodium
- 3 tablespoons capers
- ½ cup fresh basil , chopped (sub with parsley)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 minute until garlic is light golden brown.
- Add the orzo and stir to coat well. Cook for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast the orzo and incorporate flavors. Move around occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid mostly cooks down. About 1-2 minutes.
- Now add the diced tomatoes (with juices) and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and salt. Turn heat up to get it boiling. Once boiling, turn heat down to maintain a low simmer. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes or until liquid has mostly cooked down and orzo is tender. Stir often to prevent sticking and uncover the last few minutes of cook time.
- Remove from heat and add the capers and fresh basil. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Let the orzo sit uncovered for 1-2 minutes. This will give it time to thicken up. Serve with vegan parmesan and fresh-cracked pepper. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The wine can be omitted if you don't have it on hand. Just skip the step entirely. If you need to deglaze the pan a bit while the orzo is toasting, just splash a little bit of vegetable broth in the pan.
- To make this recipe kid-friendly, omit the crushed red pepper.
Janhavi
This is such an easy & delicious recipe! Made it exactly as per the instructions & turned out great!
Melissa Huggins
That is awesome Janhavi! 🙂 Thanks for trying it.
Rachel
I've made this SO MANY TIMES. It's flawless, just so delicious and makes so much.
Melissa Huggins
Yey! Thanks for the great feedback Rachel. ❤️
Jen
This is delicious comfort food, and it was just as good reheated the next day. We used whole wheat orzo and added some chopped green olives and artichokes this time. It will definitely become a staple in our house. Thanks for posting!
Melissa Huggins
You are most welcome, Jen! I also love reheating leftovers when the flavors have really melded. Hope you continue trying my recipes. 🙂
Patty Eilers
I think I was a little heavy handed with the capers (just because I love them) so next time I will temper that tendency. This dish was simple and DEELISH! It was just as good warmed up the next day too. Thank you for a "Go To" recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Patty, I totally understand that tendency and can relate. Haha. I am glad you like this recipe and you are welcome. 🙂
Jenny
So easy yet so delicious. Definitely room to add your own own flair.
Melissa Huggins
Absolutely Jenny! Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Sal
Made this tonight! I was yummy! The capers were a bit too strong for me so I think next time I will leave them out. Maybe I'll add some artichokes.. yuuummm. Thanks for sharing! Will be making again!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sal, thank you for giving it a try. The artichokes sound delicious to try. 🙂
Debbie
I have been looking to cook more vegan and vegetarian meals so this obviously fit the bill. It was so delicious! I rarely cook with orzo so this was a nice change of pasta to use. Quick and easy for an after work dinner too! Will definitely be making again!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Debbie, I am glad you found this recipe and tried it. This is also one of our go-to weeknight recipes.
Sara
Made this tonight for dinner, followed the recipe but also added a can of cannellini beans when I added the broth. Big hit here, definitely going to be a regular dish for us.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Sara! We're so happy to hear that you loved the recipe - thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂
Lorna
We ate this tonight and it was delicious. This is a definitely a keeper. I didn’t have capers or wine, so I left out both. I substituted parsley for the basil and added about 3/4 c. thawed frozen peas. I will try it with basil next time. Thanks for creating a such a great, easy and quick to cook recipe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Lorna! We are so happy to hear that you loved the orzo and that it turned out great with the substitutions! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Teri H
This was so so good! I added a couple handfuls of spinach for fun! Bueno! This will be a keeper for us! Thank you!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Teri! We are happy to hear that you loved the orzo, and the spinach sounds like a great addition 🙂 Thanks for trying it out!
Hope
This is a very tasty and simple orzo recipe. I will keep this in my list of 'go to' pasta recipes.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Hope! We are so happy to hear that you loved the orzo and will be making it again 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Pam
What changes would I need to make if using fresh tomatoes?
Ruby
Hi! Can you use cooking white wine instead of regular?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Ruby, I personally don't like to use cooking wine. It's not as flavorful and it's a bit salty. You can omit the wine altogether and the dish will still be delicious! If you do go with the cooking wine, you may want to reduce the salt and use less wine. I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Julie
Great recipe! Easy, my kids liked it, and I finally found something to use my half glass of capers on, I’ll make it again
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Julie! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe, we're so happy that you all loved it! Thanks for stopping by!