Orzo pilaf with whole wheat pasta

March 28, 2022 12:36 PM

For years I’ve been making orzo pilaf with this basic recipe - 8 ounces orzo to 2.5 cups liquid (usually stock). Just bought some 100% whole wheat orzo and am curious if anyone has an opinion on if I should change the liquid ratio?

(yes, I know I can just keep an eye on it as it cooks and add more liquid if needed, but I’m interested if anyone has any knowledge about if, say, whole wheat pasta absorbs more or less liquid than traditional pasta, or anything like that.)

posted by skycrashesdown to Food & Drink (2 answers total)

This recipe calls for whole wheat orzo.
Ingredients, if you hit a paywall:

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light-green parts only
1 cup whole-wheat orzo pasta
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 cup grated zucchini (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

posted by mumimor at 4:14 AM on March 29, 2022

According to slide 2 of this article, "Whole-wheat pastas are thirsty. They absorb a lot more liquid than traditional white pasta, so be sure to keep extra pasta cooking water on hand when preparing."
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:26 AM on March 29, 2022