Vegetarian

Lemon Asparagus Orzo

Name: Lemon Asparagus Orzo
Yield: 4 servings

Delight the pasta lovers at your table with this flavorful side, made with simple, fresh ingredients. We crafted the recipe with risotto in mind—creamy and rich with the flavor of broth and butter—but orzo plumps up in half the time it takes for arborio rice to fully cook.

Prep

Cook

Servings

4 servings

Level

Easy

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Challenge Unsalted Butter, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
2⅔ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
8 ounces dry orzo pasta
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons lemon zest, divided
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

1

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
2

Stir in orzo, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ tsp pepper and return to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring once, for 8 minutes.
3

Stir in asparagus and simmer for another 2 minutes, until orzo is al dente and asparagus is crisp-tender, adding a splash more stock if needed.
4

Remove from heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and parmesan, stirring until butter is melted and a thin sauce coats the pasta. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and serve.