Love pasta? Then check out our popular shrimp scampi pasta - cheesecake factory style, quick pasta with broccoli and garlic, and easy lemon garlic pasta.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Ingredients

Orzo: This pasta is rice-shaped and made from durum wheat. Orzo is also a good source of carbs and protein.  Olive oil:  Best flavorful oil to toss your pasta, tomatoes, and garlic.  Garlic: Garlic enhances the flavor of your pasta.  Red pepper flakes: Makes your pasta spicy. If you cannot tolerate the heat, you can skip this.  Tomatoes: Adds a burst of sweetness and acidity to your pasta. Feel free to use cherry tomatoes to make them more colorful. You can even use canned tomatoes for the recipe if fresh tomatoes are unavailable.  Tomato paste: Add canned tomato paste, tomato sauce, bottled pasta, or pizza sauce. This makes your orzo covered in sauce and tasty.   Basil: Refreshing and fresh flavor to your pasta that compliments very well with tomatoes.  See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Variations

Add some fresh seasonal vegetables like broccoli, spinach, capsicum or bell peppers, mushroom, or zucchini, to make this dish even more nutritious and healthier. Cheese lover? Top it with creamy feta cheese or parmesan cheese. Love some crunch in your orzo pasta, then add pine nuts and chopped walnuts. You can also check out our favorite orzo recipe made using pesto, parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and a simple and easy one pot lemon orzo.

Step-by-step instructions

How to cook orzo?

Making of the best tomato and basil orzo

Tips

Since the pasta is cooked in salted boiling water plus the sauce contains salt, I have not added any extra salt while sauteing tomatoes.  Use any pasta or pizza sauce, canned tomato sauce or paste, or even homemade fresh puree in the recipe. This makes your orzo coated in the sauce more delicious too. You can add pasta seasoning or garlic powder if desired.  Fresh herbs work the best. You can substitute with dried ones if fresh ones are unavailable. 

Serving suggestions

You can serve this as a quick meal with garlic bread, toasted baguette or dominos style bread sticks, or any salads as a side with your summer BBQ recipes. I also like serving this with garlic butter shrimp and/or mushroom in garlic cream sauce.

Storage and Make ahead instructions

This orzo can be served warm or cold. Once it comes to room temperature, if there are any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight conatiner and keep them in the refrigerator for four days. You can also make this pasta salad ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator, and use it for your busy weeknight dinner. If you want to serve it warm, reheat it in the microwave until heated.

More pasta recipes

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Recipe card

Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 8Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 75Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 72Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 84Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 10Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 63Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 64Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 32Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 17Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 50Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 8Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 58Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 2Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 99Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 70Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 22Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 16Best Orzo Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil - 36