Garlic Butter Herb Orzo Pasta

Name: Garlic Butter Herb Orzo Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature for about 10 minutes (softened at room temperature for about 10 minutes); 1 tablespoon chopped herbs, such as parsley, chives, tarragon or basil; ½ teaspoon grated garlic; 2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 8 ounces dried orzo pasta; Kosher salt; ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

by Karen Tedesco — updated Apr 29, 2026

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5 from 8 ratings

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Orzo is on my table at least once a week, and buttered orzo with garlic and fresh herbs is the version I reach for most. It comes together in 15 minutes — mix a quick compound butter with garlic, lemon zest, and fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, or chives, and toss with hot orzo.

Garlic herb butter orzo with lemon and Parmesan

The technique is simple, but garlic-scented, herb-flecked orzo with a light coating of butter and Parmesan not only works as a side dish alongside roasted chicken, braised meats, or grilled fish, but it’s also the kind of dish that’s a meal on its own with a salad or vegetables.

Karen’s ingredient notes

Orzo: I prefer orzo to rice as a side dish because it actually absorbs the seasonings I pair it with. Cooked in generously salted water and tossed immediately with butter while it’s hot, the pasta grains soak up flavor in a way that plain rice doesn’t. The key is to cook only to al dente — about 8 minutes.
Compound butter: This is what separates this recipe from plain buttered orzo. The compound butter blends fresh lemon zest, grated garlic, and soft fragrant herbs — my picks are parsley, basil, tarragon, or chives, or even better, a mixture. Softened butter is the key: It gives you a workable base so the seasonings fully incorporate and permeate the pasta more effectively than just adding them on top. You can use a high-fat European-style butter to make the sauce noticeably richer.

How to cook orzo perfectly

Cook orzo just until al dente — the grains should have a faint resistance at the center when you bite one

Butter softened at room temperature — not melted — blends smoothly with the other ingredients without breaking.
Grating garlic directly into the butter on a rasp grater distributes it evenly, so there’s no raw bite concentrated in one spot.

The essential oils in finely grated lemon zest meld with the fat in the butter.
Add a chopped mixture of fresh herbs you enjoy. Mix and mash with the butter until blended.

The compound butter keeps refrigerated up to one week — make a double batch and use it on vegetables or grilled fish.
Add the butter the moment the orzo is drained and still hot — that’s what allows it to melt evenly and coat every grain.
Stir in the Parmesan while the pasta is still hot so it melts into the butter rather than clumping on top.

What to serve with orzo

This recipe earns its place as a side dish because it doubles down on seasonings. Serve it alongside roasted chicken, or pan-seared salmon, or to soak up the juices from these red-wine braised short ribs.

5 from 8 ratings