Tomato Orzo with Gochujang

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This tomato orzo is a quick, easy, 30-minute meal that combines a classic pasta dish with everyone’s favorite Korean red pepper paste, gochujang. The chunky tomato sauce, spicy gochujang, and fried garlic garnish steal the show to make this orzo pasta absolutely irresistible. 

tomato orzo with gochujang in a pink bowl with a spoon resting on the side

What Makes This Recipe Great

I love quick and simple recipes that come together easily without any loss of flavour. This tomato orzo is exactly that. Tender orzo pasta cooked into a chunky, spicy tomato sauce and topped with a fried garlic garnish all in under 30 minutes! 

The secret here? Gochujang! This dish is typically made with crushed red pepper flakes, but it’s gochujang week and I just had to try my hand at blending a classic Italian recipe with my favorite Korean sauce! 

The resulting dish has the best of everything- tangy tomato sauce, crispy fried garlic, and the perfect kick from the gochujang. Together with the rice-like orzo, this is a creamy pasta dish bursting with dynamic flavour. 

Even better, did I mention it’s SO easy?!

Ingredient Notes

recipe ingredients in small bowls
  • Orzo Pasta: Orzo may look like rice, but it’s actually pasta! You’ll find this with other pasta varieties at the grocery store. 
  • Olive oil
  • Shallots
  • Garlic
  • Tomato paste: I use double-concentrated tomato paste for a deeper flavour. 
  • Gochujang: Use storebought or make my easy homemade gochujang.
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Tomato Sauce

  1. In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add shallots and salt and sauté for about a minute, stirring constantly. Avoid browning the shallots, you just want them to cook down until they’re tender. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
  2. Add tomato paste and gochujang and cook down until the colour darkens, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. 
  3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and lower the heat a little bit. Toss to coat in the oil and tomato paste mixture, then cover with a lid to help steam. Every few minutes, uncover to stir. Cook down until the tomatoes soften enough that you can squish them with the spatula to burst them. 
  4. Once the tomatoes burst, cook for about 3-4 more minutes and season with salt to taste.
  5. If desired, you can blend the sauce using a high-speed blender or immersion blender. If you’re happy with the desired texture, set it aside.

Add the Orzo

  1. Prepare orzo according to package directions. Once the orzo is tender, drain and reserve some of the cooking water. 
  2. Immediately add the cooked orzo to the saucepan with a splash of the cooking water, and over low heat, stir to combine, folding the sauce into the orzo. Serve with fried garlic to garnish, if desired.

Prep Fried Garlic (optional)

  1. Add sliced garlic to a small, cold pot and add just enough neutral oil to cover the garlic. Place the pot over medium heat and let it gradually come to a sizzle. Once sizzling, let cook for about 2 minutes, stirring gently with a spatula. 
  2. Once the edges are lightly golden brown, pull the garlic from the heat using a slotted spoon to remove it from the oil. They will continue to cook for a few minutes after being removed from the oil. Set out on a paper towel to capture excess oil, season with a pinch of salt, and let cool. 
an overhead shot of tomato orzo in a pink bowl topped with fried garlic

Expert Tips

  • If you are adding the fried garlic topping, be sure to prep the garlic beforehand. The orzo is best enjoyed right after cooking, so you don’t want to let it sit in the sauce for too long. 
  • The sauce can be enjoyed a little chunkier, or you can blend it to make it velvety smooth.

Serving Tips

Storage Tips

  • Tomato orzo is best served immediately after cooking. For this reason, I don’t recommend storing leftovers. 

Recipe FAQs

Is orzo rice or pasta? 

While orzo has a similar shape and size to rice, it’s actually a wheat-based pasta. It’s popular in many “one-pot” dishes, including pasta salads. 

Is orzo pasta healthier than rice?

It contains more carbs, calories, and protein than rice, but it is not necessarily healthier. It’s a bit heartier and more filling than rice, similar to a standard pasta dish. 

Try These Delicious Pasta Recipes…

Calabrian Chili Tomato Pasta

Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Baked Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Vegan Lemon Pepper Pasta

Garlic Scape Pesto

If you make this Tomato Orzo Recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!

Tomato Orzo with Gochujang

5 from 1 vote
Servings: 5 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
This tomato orzo is a quick, easy, 30-minute meal that combines a classic pasta dish with everyone’s favorite Korean red pepper paste, gochujang. The chunky tomato sauce, spicy gochujang, and fried garlic garnish steal the show to make this orzo pasta absolutely irresistible. 

Equipment

  • small pot
  • braiser or pan 5 qts
  • immersion blender optional
  • high speed blender optional

Ingredients 

  • 8 oz orzo gluten free, if desired
  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots finely minced
  • 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste double concentrated
  • 2-3 tbsp gochujang
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes 16oz
  • 1/2 tsp salt more, to taste

Fried Garlic Garnish (optional)

  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • neutral oil to cover

Instructions 

Make the Gochujang Tomato Sauce

  • In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add shallots and salt and sauté for about a minute, stirring constantly. Avoid browning the shallots, you just want them to cook down until they're tender. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
  • Add tomato paste and gochujang and cook down until the colour darkens, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
  • Add the tomatoes into the pan and lower the heat a little bit. Toss to coat in the oil and tomato paste mixture, then cover with a lid to help steam. Every few minutes, uncover to stir. Cook down until the tomatoes soften enough that you can squish them with the spatula to burst them.
  • Once tomatoes are burst, cook for about 3-4 more minutes and season with salt to taste.
  • If desired, you can blend the sauce using a high speed blender or immersion blender. If you're happy with the desired texture, set aside.

Add the Orzo

  • Prepare orzo according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and reserve some of the cooking water.
  • Immediately add the cooked orzo to the sauce pan with a splash of cooking water, and over low heat, stir to combine, folding the sauce into the orzo. Serve with fried garlic to garnish, if desired.

Prep Fried Garlic*

  • Add sliced garlic to a small, cold pot and add just enough neutral oil to cover the garlic. Place the pot over medium heat and let it gradually come to a sizzle. Once sizzling, let cook for about 2 minutes, stirring gently with a spatula.
  • Once the edges are lightly golden brown, pull the garlic from the heat using a slotted spoon to remove from the oil. They will continue to cook for a few minutes after being removed from the oil. Set out on a paper towel to capture excess oil, season with a pinch of salt and let cool.

Notes

Expert Tips

  • If you are adding the fried garlic topping, be sure to prep the garlic beforehand. The orzo is best enjoyed right after cooking, so you don’t want to let it sit in the sauce for too long. 
  • The sauce can be enjoyed a little chunkier, or you can blend it to make it velvety smooth.

Serving Tips

Storage Tips

  • Tomato orzo is best served immediately after cooking. For this reason, I don’t recommend storing leftovers. 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Remy Park

Hi there, I’m Remy! Welcome to Veggiekins Blog, home to nourishing vegan + gluten-free recipes and tips to live your best balanced and holistic life. I’m a human on a mission to empower you to be well and be kind to your mind, body and soul with the healing power of plants.

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1 Comment

  1. This tomato orzo with gochujang recipe is stunning, thank you for your recipes that taught me how to make it.

    5 stars