This Tomato and Mascarpone Orzo pasta recipe is brilliant to make as a low-effort meal. It's also one of the best and easiest summer pasta dishes I know, pairing burst cherry tomatoes and a pinch of chilly flakes to make a delicious orzotto-style dish without all that stirring, finished with fresh basil, creamy mascarpone cheese and plenty of parmesan.
Perfect in a bowl on it's own this Tomato and Mascarpone Orzo makes the perfect weeknight dinner, but it can also be served as a side dish to grilled chicken or fish.
Ingredients
All you need to make this deliciously creamy tomato orzo is a few simple ingredients: making sure you use good tomatoes and lots of fresh basil is key!
- cherry tomatoes (fresh are best for this recipe, but if you really want to use tinned use tinned cherry tomatoes, and save the juices from the can for another recipe)
- garlic
- dried chilli flakes (regular dried chilli flakes are great here for adding flavour and heat, but Aleppo chilli will provide the same lovely flavours but with a little less heat)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- fresh basil
- orzo
- mascarpone cheese
- grated parmesan (you can use pecorino instead - if you need this orzotto recipe to be vegetarian, make sure your choice of hard cheese is vegetarian friendly!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Any small pasta shape should work well here, or even larger ones for a less risotto-like texture. It's very similar to that cult tomato and feta pasta recipe that was really popular, but it's a bit more elegant and refined!
I think 1 tablespoon of mascarpone is the perfect amount, but feel free to halve the amount to reduce the creaminess here. Don't be tempted to cut out the parmesan however, as you need a bit of hard cheese to add a much needed savoury element to the finished dish!
Step-by-Step Video
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Tomato & Mascarpone Orzo
This quick and easy recipe for Tomato and Mascarpone Orzo is really simple to make. With fresh cherry tomatoes, basil and a swirl of mascarpone it's a great alternative to risotto for weeknights.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 1
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 150g cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- very small pinch of dried chilli flakes
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- a big handful of basil leaves
- 100g orzo
- 1 heaped tablespoon mascarpone
- parmesan to taste, to taste
Instructions
- Mix the tomatoes and garlic with olive oil, chilli flakes, some salt, and some pepper.
- Roast at 200C for 10 minutes, then turn down the temp to 160C and cook for a further 20 minutes or so until the garlic is soft and the tomatoes burst.
- Meanwhile, boil the orzo in salted water until soft (about 10 mins) and drain.
- Break up the tomatoes and garlic with the back of a spoon and stir in the mascarpone. Add the grated parmesan and basil.
- Toss together with the pasta and you’re done!
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