Creamy orzo with asparagus and ham

Pasta is simple and perfect for the weeknight dinner rush. Sadly it can also be a little heavy in the summer. Don’t worry. This creamy pasta is made with orzo so it’s light on the stomach but still full of flavor!

You don’t have to say goodbye to pasta just because it’s summer. This quick and easy pasta dish is light because we opted to use orzo instead of a heavy pasta. The best part about this dish is that it can be made in one pot and customized to include almost any vegetable you have on hand. This dish would be perfect with beans, peas or even spinach.

Creamy orzo with asparagus and ham recipe

Source: Adapted from

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orzo
• 1 cup chopped fresh asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1/4-1/3 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Fill a pot with water and place over high heat. Once boiling, add a heavy pinch of salt to the water and add orzo.
2. Once the orzo has been cooking for 5 minutes, add in asparagus. Cook for another 5 minutes and drain.
3. Add butter to the pot and add back in drained orzo and asparagus. Quickly stir to melt the butter.
4. Add in Parmesan cheese and ham and stir. Slowly pour in cream, while stirring the pasta mixture, until you reach the desired consistency.
5. Add in salt and pepper to taste.

More orzo recipes

Orzo-stuffed tomato recipe
Orzo and zucchini salad recipe
Buffalo chicken soup with orzo recipe