This vegetarian lemon tahini orzo is filled with bright spring flavors and nutritious ingredients, it's made in one pot, and it's ready in just under 30 minutes!
This tahini orzo pasta is a combination of so many of my favorite recipes: tahini pasta, lemon orzo, and one-pot pasta. It's filled with nutty tahini flavor, bright lemon zest and lemon juice, and vivid green broccoli.
This is a low-effort vegetarian meal that requires just a few minutes of prep. If you like my cherry tomato orzo, you'll love this recipe because it uses the same method of cooking the orzo in one pot.
If you're new to tahini, it's a type of seed butter made from toasted sesame seeds. It imparts a nutty, toasted flavor to the sauce and is balanced out by the lightness of the lemon juice and zest.
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Recipe features
- Quick & easy: Tahini orzo uses just 10 ingredients and is ready in under 30 minutes. It's a one-pot pasta, so the pasta cooks in the liquid that is also used for the sauce.
- Flavors: The nutty tahini is mellowed out by the bright and light lemon flavors. I like to add a hearty serving of freshly grated Parmesan at the end for added richness.
- The sauce: Tahini and starchy pasta water combine to create a super silky sauce. The sauce does thicken up when refrigerated, so this dish is best served immediately. Otherwise, just add a splash of vegetable broth before reheating the sauce to loosen it up.
- Dietary features: vegetarian, vegan-optional (just use vegan butter & Parmesan), soy-free, nut-free
Ingredients
- Orzo: This is a small pasta shape that looks a lot like a giant piece of rice. It cooks relatively quickly.
- Tahini can be found in the sauce or International aisle at most grocery stores. Soom has my favorite tahini (I buy the original tahini) and it can be found online.
- Lemon: One small/medium lemon typically yields 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. I recommend fresh lemon over bottles of lemon juice, especially because lemon zest adds a dense concentration of lemon flavor to this recipe.
- Shallots and garlic create a flavorful base. Saute in a bit of unsalted butter for extra richness. If shallots aren't available, you can use ½ cup of diced sweet onion instead. If you only have salted butter, just adjusted the kosher salt to taste.
- Vegetable bouillon: I swear by Better than Bouillon. It's more flavorful and more cost-effective than most boxed vegetable broths, and it's easy to use. Only have vegetable broth? Use an equal amount in place of the water and omit the bouillon.
- Broccoli: Choose one large broccoli crown or two small crowns. I did not test this recipe with frozen broccoli, but I would suggest cooking it separately and adding it after cooking the orzo to avoid overcooked broccoli.
Step by step instructions
Equipment: One-pot pasta recipes work best with tall-walled skillets. I use my 8-inch Carraway skillet or a tall-sided skillet (similar to a braising pan). If you don't have a medium skillet with a lid, you can use a medium pot.
Start by heating a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the diced shallot. Cook until golden, stirring occasionally, just 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic. Continue cooking until golden and aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable bouillon to the pan. Stir in the water. This will dissolve the bouillon and create the vegetable broth.
Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, then stir in the salt and orzo. Add the broccoli florets and cover with a lid.
Simmer until the orzo is completely cooked through, just about 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes to keep the orzo from sticking to the pan. Frequent stirring helps the orzo to cook evenly.
When the orzo is al dente, remove the lid. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Add freshly grated Parmesan to taste.
Storage tips
Note: Tahini orzo thickens up a lot as it chills. I think it's best enjoyed immediately, but I have happily eaten plenty of delicious leftovers. Just loosen the tahini sauce by adding a splash of water or vegetable broth to return it to its original smooth consistency.
Leftovers are best within 3 to 4 days. Let cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating.
Reheating: Reheats easily in the microwave in just about 2 minutes. Reheat in a skillet on the stove over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally to distribute the heat.
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📖 Recipe
One Pot Lemon Tahini Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium shallot diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 and ½ teaspoons vegetable bouillon
- 1 and ¾ cup water can use equal amount of veg broth in place of water and bouillon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 large crown broccoli sliced into small florets
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice from ~1 medium lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest from ~1 medium lemon
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Start by heating a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the diced shallot. Cook until golden, stirring occasionally, just 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic. Continue cooking until golden and aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable bouillon to the pan. Stir in the water. This will dissolve the bouillon and create the vegetable broth.
- Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, then stir in the salt and orzo. Add the broccoli florets and cover with a lid.
- Simmer until the orzo is completely cooked through, just about 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes to keep the orzo from sticking to the pan.
- When the orzo is al dente, remove the lid. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Taste for seasonings. Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I have not tested this recipe with frozen broccoli, but I recommend cooking frozen broccoli separately then adding to the cooked orzo.
- Leftovers: Tahini orzo thickens up a lot as it chills. Loosen the tahini sauce by adding a splash of water or vegetable broth to return it to its original smooth consistency. Leftovers are best within 3 to 4 days. Let cool before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating.
- Check out the fullYouTube video for this recipe.
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