I found this recipe online. It was described as copycat Rice-A-Roni,
except the boxed mix uses small pieces of vermicelli rather than orzo.
Rice doesn't play a large part in my cooking but this sounded
interesting. The description of the pilaf said Jasmine rice works well
with this dish. I snagged a 10 lb. bag of Jasmine rice for $5 (that
should last me a few years!) and a container of orzo. As with
Rice-A-Roni, browning the orzo and rice in butter first adds extra depth
to the taste of the pilaf.
Rice Pilaf
1 c. long-grain white rice
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 c. dried orzo pasta
1-1/2 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt; more as needed
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (from about 8 sprigs, optional)
Place 1 c. long-grain white rice in a medium bowl and add enough cold
water to cover. Swish the grains around with your hands, then drain
through a fine-mesh strainer. Let sit in the strainer over the sink to drain well. This removes excess starch from the rice and helps keep the grains separate when cooking.
Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 finely chopped medium yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in 1/2 c. dried orzo pasta and cook, stirring often, until
golden-brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring often, until starting to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir in 1-1/2 c. chicken broth and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Stir once more, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the rice
and orzo are tender, 18-20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle with 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Makes 4-1/4 cups; Serves 4 to 6
On 2025-03-15 6:07 p.m., Jill McQuown wrote:(snipped)
I found this recipe online. It was described as copycat Rice-A-Roni,
except the boxed mix uses small pieces of vermicelli rather than orzo.
Rice doesn't play a large part in my cooking but this sounded
interesting. The description of the pilaf said Jasmine rice works
well with this dish. I snagged a 10 lb. bag of Jasmine rice for $5
(that should last me a few years!) and a container of orzo. As with
Rice-A-Roni, browning the orzo and rice in butter first adds extra
depth to the taste of the pilaf.
Rice Pilaf
I haven't had pilaf in a long time. My wife used to make one with
barley, mushrooms and beef broth. It was really tasty.
I found this recipe online. It was described as copycat Rice-A-Roni,
except the boxed mix uses small pieces of vermicelli rather than orzo.
Rice doesn't play a large part in my cooking but this sounded
interesting. The description of the pilaf said Jasmine rice works well
with this dish. I snagged a 10 lb. bag of Jasmine rice for $5 (that
should last me a few years!) and a container of orzo. As with
Rice-A-Roni, browning the orzo and rice in butter first adds extra depth
to the taste of the pilaf.
Rice Pilaf
1 c. long-grain white rice
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 c. dried orzo pasta
1-1/2 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt; more as needed
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (from about 8 sprigs, optional)
Place 1 c. long-grain white rice in a medium bowl and add enough cold
water to cover. Swish the grains around with your hands, then drain
through a fine-mesh strainer. Let sit in the strainer over the sink to
drain well. This removes excess starch from the rice and helps keep the grains separate when cooking.
Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 finely chopped medium yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in 1/2 c. dried orzo pasta and cook, stirring often, until
golden-brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring often, until starting to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir in 1-1/2 c. chicken broth and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Stir
once more, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the rice
and orzo are tender, 18-20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle with 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Makes 4-1/4 cups; Serves 4 to 6
Jill
My more frequently make pilaf using pearled barley. No vermicelli or
pasta added to it. And no, no mushrooms. The broth can be chicken or
beef. I pretty much posted this one for Leo, who often mentions
Rice-A-Roni as a side dish. ;) But yes, I'll the recipe as made from
scratch as written.
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