One-Pot Orzo With Tomatoes, Corn and Zucchini

By Lidey Heuck

Updated August 25, 2021

  • Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Lish Steiling.
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Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(4,857)
Comments
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This recipe is inspired by the tail end of summer, when fresh produce and herbs abound but the heat waves are finally starting to relent. And while this dish makes a wonderful stage for the season’s produce at its peak, it can also turn sad-looking February vegetables into a sauce that makes it feel like summer. The trick is to sauté the tomatoes slowly, until they’ve collapsed and become deeply sweet and fragrant. The orzo cooks right in the sauce, which cuts down on the dishes and allows the pasta to absorb the flavor as it cooks. If you prefer a larger pasta shape, stick to the traditional method of boiling pasta for best results, and save some pasta water to help loosen the sauce. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 Vidalia or yellow onion, chopped

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • 1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), halved lengthwise, seeded and ½-inch diced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

  • ⅓ cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1 ¼ cups orzo

  • Kernels from one ear of corn (about ½ cup)

  • 1 cup torn or medium-diced fresh mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

27 grams carbs; 23 milligrams cholesterol; 283 calories; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 571 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet, for which you have a lid, set over medium. And the onions, lightly season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the zucchini and garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often.

  2. Step 2

    Add the tomatoes, basil, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have completely collapsed, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Step 3

    Add 2 ½ cups water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the orzo, corn, and ½ teaspoon salt, mix well, and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan 3 or 4 times, until the pasta is cooked. The pasta should look “saucy” as it cooks; if at any point it looks dry, add another ¼ cup water.

  4. Step 4

    Off the heat, add the mozzarella and Parmesan and stir gently until just combined. Top with fresh basil and more red-pepper flakes if desired, and serve hot.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,857 user ratings
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Comments

Evan

Tasty & straightforward. Used far less water than called for, as the tomatoes released a lot of liquid. Instead added small amounts of water as necessary, ala risotto; orzo took slightly longer to cook as a result (~15 min). Also, being opposed to soggy stewed zucchini (22+ minutes?!), I elected to add that ingredient along with the corn and orzo. Turned out perfect—tender, but with just a little bit of tooth.

ted

Tana has neither the heart nor the gumption to handle additional parmesan. but i do and it was great

DrBinNYi

Unless I perceive something as a glaring error, I almost always make a recipe the first time just as it's been written. In this case, it all worked out in the end, but I wish I had followed my instinct on a few more things. Next time: 1) I will double in the amount of zucchini, adding it after the tomatoes are almost broken down, and then cook for 5 minutes. 2) I will add the corn after the orzo is nearly done. 3) I will add freshly chopped parsley, a good half cup, when I add the corn.

Aruna D'Souza

Made this as part of a vegetarian dinner party and everyone went crazy over it. I stuck to the recipe (although I added salt per my judgement, rather than measuring). It was great. I didn’t find the zucchini mushy, even though I added it per the recipe instructions—perhaps using the size of pan recommended made a difference, as there was no steaming.

Great, easy one-pot option

When you don’t want to cook a thing, but have to, this is a wonderful one-pot meal that takes less than hour to cook from prep to table. I made a couple of adjustments to account for food allergies - I used goat cheese instead of mozzarella - and added ground sausage to help the meal stretch. Even picky eaters enjoyed this meal!

Julia

Delicious! Used farro instead of orzo for higher protein and fiber, and a spoonful of pesto instead of the basil. Even our 11 year old gobbled it up!

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