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28 of our favourite risoni pasta recipes

Risoni pasta may look like rice, but it's a classic Italian pasta that brings a touch of comfort to any dish.

Risoni pasta, also known as orzo, is shaped like large grains of rice and is a versatile ingredient for all kinds of dishes. It’s a popular pasta to use when you want to bulk up salads or soups, but it’s also great in pasta bakes, as an accompaniment to a protein or as the hero of a dish. Here, we’ve selected 27 great risoni pasta recipes that make for easy lunches, filling dinners and all kinds of other occasions.

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Risoni with ham and capsicum
Quick & Easy
October 27, 2013

Risoni with ham and capsicum

Not suitable to freeze. Suitable to microwave. Risoni is a small rice-shaped pasta very similar to orzo. If unavailable, use any small soup-style pasta. Alternatively, pearl barley, rice or quinoa can also be used in this salad. Note
By Women's Weekly Food
Quick - smart ideas - Mediterranean Risoni
Quick & Easy
April 29, 2014

Mediterranean risoni

Make ahead: Prepare almost to end of Step 3, adding fetta, parsley and zest just before serving. Risoni is rice-shaped pasta. No need to thaw onion before using. Don’t overcook beans; they only need to be warmed. Note
By Women's Weekly Food
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risoni marinara
Quick & Easy
June 30, 2011

Risoni marinara

Risoni is a small, rice-sized pasta often used in Italian soups; it goes perfectly with a marinara sauce accompaniment as its texture allows the delicious seafood to remain the ‘hero’ of the dish.
By Women's Weekly Food
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Are risoni pasta 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.

Whatever name you use, this pasta is typically made from semolina or durum wheat flour, cooks quickly and is delicious in all kinds of dishes.

How do you cook risoni?

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 orzo before, a good way to familiarise yourself with it is by choosing a recipe 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.

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