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Last Updated on October 21, 2023 by Jess
Do most people have a favorite pasta shape? Or is that a strange trait reserved for Italians and all the foodies of the world? I go back and forth between a few: I love that orecchiette means “little ears” and ziti makes me happy. But I truly love the rice-like feel of an orzo. It’s perfect in soups but makes a lovely side dish, whether you want it cold in the summer or comforting in the winter. This little Broccoli and Cotija Orzo falls somewhere in between by being warm but not heavy.
So many great recipes are born from the “I am not shopping but what do we have in the fridge” life. Our family has a ton of favorite recipes that call for broccoli that we typically keep fresh on hand (check this Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli out!). I had also been cooking some Mexican recipes and had cotija cheese.
If you haven’t used cotija cheese before, it’s reminiscent of feta in its crumbly nature and with a saltier flavor similar to Parmesan. I am a lover of feta, but my kids, not so much. When I served this up, I had zero complaints on the flavor of the cheese, so I call it a win.
I love the simplicity of this Broccoli and Cotija Orzo. It’s easily something you can just keep the ingredients on hand for. And I know it seems odd to combine pasta with a Mexican cheese, but let me tell you, it works!
Ready to start cooking? Let’s go!
Your Ingredients
- 2 cups of chopped broccoli, keeping it small
- 1 ¼ cup dry orzo
- ¾ cup crumbled cotija cheese, divided
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼-½ cup reserved pasta water (I always forget when I need to do this, so maybe putting it in the ingredients will help!)
Your Steps to Broccoli and Cotija Orzo
In a large kettle, bring salted water to a boil. Add orzo and minced garlic, cooking until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the broccoli and crumble the cotija cheese. If you have the ability, steam the broccoli (I love to use Ziploc Zip’N Steam Cooking Bags). If you can’t steam it, toss it in with the pasta for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cook time, but remove some pasta water prior.
Drain pasta and return it to the kettle. Add ½ cup of cotija cheese and broccoli if you have not already. Stir to combine, adding pepper and reserved pasta water as needed to make it creamy. (Salt should be minimally needed between the salted water and the salty cotija cheese so taste prior to adding).
Top with reserved cotija cheese and additional black pepper before serving.
Broccoli and Cotija Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 cups of chopped broccoli keeping it small
- 1 ¼ cup dry orzo
- ¾ cup crumbled cotija cheese divided
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼-½ cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- In a large kettle, bring salted water to a boil. Add orzo and minced garlic, cooking until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the broccoli and crumble the cotija cheese. If you have the ability, steam the broccoli. If you can’t steam it, toss it in with the pasta for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cook time, but remove some pasta water prior.
- Drain pasta and return it to the kettle. Add ½ cup of cotija cheese and broccoli if you have not already. Stir to combine, adding pepper. (Salt should be minimally needed between the salted water and the salty cotija cheese so taste prior to adding).
- Top with reserved cotija cheese and additional black pepper before serving.
Looking for other fun sides to share?
Check out my cooking page for all sorts of inspiration or maybe find one that tickles your fancy below!
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