Herbed Rice and Orzo Pilaf with Toasted Almonds

Steps

1. Step 1

   Put the sliced almonds in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan often, until they smell nutty and are light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Tip them onto a plate and set aside; they burn quickly, so don't walk away.

   4 min

   • 1/3 cup sliced almonds
2. Step 2

   In the same saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo and cook, stirring constantly, until it turns a toasty golden brown, about 3 minutes.

   3 min

   • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
   • 1/2 cup orzo
3. Step 3

   Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the rinsed rice and cook, stirring, 2 minutes more, until the rice grains look chalky white and smell toasty.

   6 min

   • 1 cup long-grain white rice
   • 1 small onion
   • 2 cloves garlic
4. Step 4

   Pour in the broth and add the salt and pepper. Stir once, scraping the bottom of the pan, and bring to a full boil.

   3 min

   • 2 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
   • 1/2 tsp salt
   • 1/4 tsp black pepper
5. Step 5

   Turn the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer without lifting the lid until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 16 to 18 minutes.

   17 min, hands-off

6. Step 6

   Take the pan off the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes.

   5 min, hands-off

7. Step 7

   Uncover and dot the remaining 1 tbsp butter over the top. Add the parsley, dill, lemon zest and most of the toasted almonds, then fluff everything together gently with a fork. Taste and add salt if it needs it, and scatter the rest of the almonds over the top to serve.

   2 min

   • 1/3 cup sliced almonds
   • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
   • 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley
   • 2 tbsp fresh dill
   • 1 tsp lemon zest

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026