Risoni pasta may look like rice, but it’s a classic Italian pasta that brings a touch of comfort. Risoni pasta is also known as orzo and is a versatile ingredient for all kinds of dishes. It’s a popular pasta to bulk up salads or soups. It’s also great in pasta bakes, as an accompaniment to a protein or as the hero of a dish.
Here, we’ve selected 28 great risoni pasta recipes for easy lunches, filling dinners and all kinds of other occasions. From hearty meatballs in the slow cooker and warm bakes, to light summer risoni salads.
Are risoni and orzo the same thing?
Both “risoni” and “orzo” are names for short-cut pasta that’s shaped like large grains of rice. It’s typically referred to as risoni or risi in Italy and orzo in the US and other parts of the world. In Australia, you’ll often find the pasta under either name. But there can be variations in size, with orzo sometimes larger. So if you’re ever in doubt about which name to use, just ask. Risoni is typically made from semolina or durum wheat flour, cooks quickly and is delicious in all kinds of dishes.
How to cook risoni pasta
Similar to other pasta, you can just add risoni to a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 7-10 minutes, until al dente. If you’re adding it to soups, you typically won’t need to pre-cook it as the liquid in the dish will do that (and thicken up a bit from the starch in the pasta, as an added bonus).
If you’ve never cooked with risoni before, familiarise yourself by choosing one of the below recipes to start with. This way, you can follow the cooking instructions and get more ideas of how to cook risoni and what other dishes you can use it in.
Greek meatballs with fetta, oregano and risoni
Chicken and risoni pasta bake
Hearty beef minestrone with risoni
Italian risoni soup
Spinach, mushroom and mozzarella risoni bake
Prawns with risoni and peas
Thermomix risoni with chicken and salsa verde
Slow cooker Greek ‘sausages’ with olives and risoni
Risoni with ham and capsicum
Mediterranean risoni
Poached salmon with asaparagus, rocket and risoni salad
White bean and chickpea soup with risoni
Grilled lamb cutlets with warm risoni salad
Rosemary and prosciutto chicken legs with creamy risoni
Grilled lamb and risoni with mustard sauce
Sausage, pumpkin and leek risoni
Roast pumpkin and zucchini risoni salad
Slow-cooked lamb pie with potato rosti
Risoni and bean salad with lemon
Risoni with spinach & semi-dried tomatoes
Lamb shanks with risoni and tomato
Pork chipolata and risoni salad
Bean and leek risoni
Vegetable soup with risoni
Risoni and vegetable salad
Chicken and risoni soup
Risoni marinara
Risoni with mushrooms, zucchini and green onions
