Cacio e Pepe Orzo w/ Chicken Meatballs
This cacio e pepe orzo with chicken meatballs is a family favorite and cozy dinner that is packed with flavor. Gluten free, perfectly seasoned and meal prep friendly!
There is nothing I love more than a cozy dinner that’s cheesy but not heavy, high protein and packed with flavor. This gluten free cacio e pepe orzo is creamy, easy to make and loved by both kids and adults. It’s made with fresh, pantry staple ingredients and has minimal dicing and chopping needed!
It’s the perfect dish all on it’s own, but also delicious with a massaged kale salad on the side or some roasted or sauteed broccoli, asparagus or air fryer green beans. If you love this recipe, try my gluten free pastina next!
Quick tips
- I obviously used gluten free orzo here but you can use regular if you are not gluten free. The liquid to orzo ratio should be the same, but if you end up needing more liquid to cook the orzo, definitely add that in.
- Heavy cream is not traditional for cacio e pepe, but I do love the extra creaminess it adds. This is totally optional!
- Please use freshly grated cheese! The pre-grated stuff has anti-caking agents and it will not melt as well into the sauce. I promise it’s worth the extra few minutes!
How to make cacio e pepe orzo
Combine all ingredients for the meatballs in a medium mixing bowl aside from the oil and the both.
Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) and scoop into balls. You can make them bigger if you like, but with this orzo I prefer them a bit on the smaller side! I like to really press everything together and then roll up in the palm of my hand so it’s nice and compact.
Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add in the meatballs and cook for about 5-6 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5-6 minutes. Once the internal temperature reaches 165, add in the chicken broth and let it simmer until absorbed. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile (I start this while the meatballs are cooking), melt two tablespoons of the butter in a medium pan. Once melted, add in the fresh cracked pepper and toast for about 30 seconds, then add in the orzo and toss to combine.
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Pour in 3 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium/low and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Add in both freshly grated cheeses and toss to combine. If you want it a bit saucier, add in the other 1/2 cup of broth. Add more pepper if desired and the heavy cream if using.
Serve with a base of the orzo, then top with the meatballs, fresh basil, parmesan and black pepper. Enjoy and try my gluten free cacio e pepe next!
Storage tips
I suggest storing the orzo and the meatballs separately for best results. Once prepared, the orzo will keep in the fridge for 3 days and the meatballs will keep for 3-4 days. I like to reheat the orzo on the stove with a splash of broth to get things creamy again, and the meatballs you can either pop in the oven until warm or reheat on the stove with a bit of olive oil.
The meatballs are very freezer friendly! I love making a double batch and freezing some and then poping in the air fryer or oven for a quick meal throughout the week!
Ingredient tips
- Salt. The cheeses we’re using here are already pretty salty, so I didn’t add any extra salt to the dish, other than the meatballs- meat loves salt! I also suggest using unsalted butter to ensure the sauce isn’t too salty!
- Butter and oil. This is non-traditional in cacio e pepe – it is often made with literally just cheese and pepper (as the name implies), but blooming the pepper in the oil deepens the flavor and butter just really rounds out the flavors.
- Broth. I used bone broth here to up the protein content, but regular chicken broth works just as well. I suggest low sodium since the cheeses are already pretty salty!
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Cacio e Pepe Orzo w/ Chicken Meatballs
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ⅔ cup grated parmesan
- ⅓ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for pan frying
- ¼ cup chicken broth
Orzo
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 12 ounces gluten free orzo I used jovial
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth I used bone broth
- 1 cup pecorino romano freshly grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream optional
- ½ cup fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the meatballs in a medium mixing bowl aside from the oil and the both.
- Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) and scoop into balls. You can make them bigger if you like, but with this orzo I prefer them a bit on the smaller side! I like to really press everything together and then roll up in the palm of my hand so it’s nice and compact.
- Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add in the meatballs and cook for about 5-6 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5-6 minutes. Once the internal temperature reaches 165, add in the chicken broth and let it simmer until absorbed. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile (I start this while the meatballs are cooking), melt two tablespoons of the butter in a medium pan. Once melted, add in the fresh cracked pepper and toast for about 30 seconds, then add in the orzo and toss to combine.
- Pour in 3 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium/low and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Add in both freshly grated cheeses and toss to combine. If you want it a bit saucier, add in the other 1/2 cup of broth. Add more pepper if desired and the heavy cream if using.
- Serve with a base of the orzo, then top with the meatballs, fresh basil, parmesan and black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
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