Lemon Orzo with Asparagus & Peas

This recipe is quick and effortless, in just 25 minutes you have a delicious fresh tasting bowl of pasta with a handful of fresh ingredients.

It's perfect for busy week nights, light lunches or those lazy days at the weekend when you don't want to spend hours in the kitchen.

Recipe ingredients

Find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.

• Oil - for the best nutty flavour I like to use extra virgin olive oil in this recipe.
• Garlic - I use freshly crushed cloves of garlic, although frozen garlic would work here too.
• Chilli - I like to add chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) which add a subtle heat, this is optional and you can leave out if you prefer.
• Pasta - I use orzo pasta, which is a rice shaped pasta that cooks quickly.
• Stock - I use vegetable stock to cook the orzo pasta.
• Asparagus - I use fresh asparagus, removing the woody stem at the base and cutting into bite-sized pieces.
• Garden peas - for ease I use frozen garden peas (green peas).
• Lemon - I use both the finely grated zest and juice from a lemon to flavour this dish.
• Cheese - I use some grated parmesan cheese to add depth of flavour without overpowering the lemon.
• Fresh herbs - I like to add a handful of finely shredded basil leaves to the pasta sauce.
• Butter - I like to add a little butter just before serving as it adds a richness to the sauce.
• Seasoning - I keep the seasoning simple with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

How to make lemon orzo pasta

• Place a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and chilli flakes and sauté gently for 30 seconds until fragrant. Do not colour the garlic.
• Add the orzo pasta to the pan and stir to coat the pasta in the oil.
• Now add the vegetable stock and cook the pasta for 7-8 minutes.

• Add the asparagus and garden peas to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, adding an extra splash of water if required.

• Finally add the lemon zest and juice, parmesan cheese, butter, salt and black pepper to the pan, stir through until the cheese and butter have melted.
• Remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately with a wedge of fresh lemon (optional).

Recipe variations

• Pasta - I've used orzo pasta in this recipe, but you can use other pasta shapes, adjusting cook times accordingly.
• Vegetables - I used asparagus and garden peas in this recipe, but you could also use other vegetables like courgette (zucchini), green beans, cavolo nero (black kale), or spinach.
• Cheese - I used parmesan cheese, but you can swap for pecorino romano, or any other hard cheese.
• Chilli - I like to add chilli flakes, but you could swap for a fresh red chilli if you prefer.

Serving suggestions

This is a light pasta dish, making it great for lunch or a lighter dinner option. For dinner serve with some crusty bread, focaccia or garlic bread.

I always like to serve this pasta with a wedge of fresh lemon for those who like their pasta extra lemony.

Useful hints and tips

1. Keep an eye on the orzo you want to cook it to al-dente, no longer or it will become too soft.
2. For vegetarian diners use a vegetarian hard cheese.
3. For dairy free and vegan diners leave out the butter and swap the parmesan cheese for a dairy free alternative, or leave it out altogether.
4. For coeliacs and gluten free diners use a gluten free pasta.
5. Allergy advice: soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try these easy pasta recipes:

• Tomato & Basil Pasta
• Courgette Lemon Pasta
• Smoked Salmon Pasta
• Creamy Chicken & Bacon Tomato Pasta
• Creamy Sausage Pasta

Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at my Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners post which is full of useful hints, tips and recipes.