Small rice-shaped pasta made from durum wheat semolina, boiled in salted water for 8 to 9 minutes. Despite the shape it is pasta, not a grain.
What it does in a recipe: A small starch shape that gives a soup or salad body while cooking far faster than any true grain. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Risoni, Kritharaki
3substitutes
2close matches
Grainscategory
Quick answer
Pearl couscous
1 cup orzo, boiled 8 to 9 minutes = 1 cup pearl couscous with 1 1/4 cups liquid, simmered 8 to 10 minutes
All substitutes, best first
3 ways to replace orzo
Pearl couscous
Closest match
1 cup orzo, boiled 8 to 9 minutes = 1 cup pearl couscous with 1 1/4 cups liquid, simmered 8 to 10 minutes
The same semolina dough in a rounder shape, so the timing is nearly identical, though pearl couscous is usually cooked by absorption rather than drained.
Trade-offRounder and chewier, and cooked by absorption it carries more of the broth's flavour than drained orzo does.
Allergen checkPearl couscous is wheat semolina and contains gluten, exactly as orzo does. Neither works where gluten is being avoided for medical reasons; look for a rice- or corn-based small pasta and verify the packaging.
Small pasta shapes
Closest match
1 cup orzo = 1 cup ditalini, stelline or small shells, cooked to the packet time
Any small dried shape of the same dough absorbs water and cooks on much the same schedule, so it plays the same structural role.
MethodCheck the packet - some small shapes run to 11 or 12 minutes rather than orzo's 8 or 9.
Trade-offOnly the shape changes. In a soup it is barely noticeable; in a salad it looks like a different dish.
Allergen checkStandard dried pasta is made from wheat and contains gluten. Gluten-free versions from rice, corn or lentils exist and cook differently, usually faster and softer - read the packet and confirm the manufacturer's handling if the reason is coeliac disease.
White rice
Reliable
1 cup orzo, boiled 8 to 9 minutes = 1 cup long-grain white rice with 1 3/4 cups liquid, simmered 18 minutes
Rice occupies a similar place on the plate and is naturally gluten-free, but it cooks by absorption in a measured amount of liquid rather than being boiled and drained.
Trade-offSofter, less springy and considerably slower. It also drinks a great deal more liquid if added straight to a soup.
Orzo releases a lot of starch. If it is going into a salad, boil it in plenty of water, drain and rinse under cold water, or the pieces will glue themselves together as they cool.
At a glance
Orzo in summary
Orzo at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
1 cup orzo, boiled 8 to 9 minutes = 1 cup pearl couscous with 1 1/4 cups liquid, simmered 8 to 10 minutes. The same semolina dough in a rounder shape, so the timing is nearly identical, though pearl couscous is usually cooked by absorption rather than drained. Rounder and chewier, and cooked by absorption it carries more of the broth's flavour than drained orzo does.
Can I use small pasta shapes instead of orzo?
1 cup orzo = 1 cup ditalini, stelline or small shells, cooked to the packet time. Any small dried shape of the same dough absorbs water and cooks on much the same schedule, so it plays the same structural role. Only the shape changes. In a soup it is barely noticeable; in a salad it looks like a different dish.
Can I use white rice instead of orzo?
1 cup orzo, boiled 8 to 9 minutes = 1 cup long-grain white rice with 1 3/4 cups liquid, simmered 18 minutes. Rice occupies a similar place on the plate and is naturally gluten-free, but it cooks by absorption in a measured amount of liquid rather than being boiled and drained. Softer, less springy and considerably slower. It also drinks a great deal more liquid if added straight to a soup.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.