Pizza comes in all shapes and sizes, with all different kinds of crusts—Chicago-style thin crust, chewy French bread, pillowy deep dish—but have you ever thought about choosing none crust? We’re not talking about low-carb either. Instead, we trade one beloved carbohydrate for another: the classic crust for an unconventional option, orzo. Perfect for those times when you’re craving two things and can’t decide what to cook, this pizza orzo combines everything you love about pizza and pasta for a satisfying and comforting dinner.
To make this mashup, you start by cooking your orzo in a pizza-inspired sauce. Instead of already crushed or pureed tomatoes, we opted for canned whole peeled tomatoes. Adding tomatoes whole with their juices incorporates texture into your sauce without too much extra work. Just use a wooden spoon to break them up in your pan while the sauce is boiling.
Once the orzo is cooked in the pizza sauce, this dish is honestly pretty delicious as is, but don’t stop there. It’s made even better by being topped with mozzarella, some basil and some pepperoni, then fried until the cheese is melted and the pepperoni is crispy.
This recipe doesn’t use a whole package of pepperoni, but don’t worry—we’ve got the perfect idea for leftovers: Our Antipasto Chopped Salad is a killer side to this orzo dish and can easily be made with pepperoni instead of salami. The crunch from the salad and the tangy dressing is just the balance this cheesy dinner needs.
made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
