Garlic Rice Pilaf

I always say rice pilaf is what you make when you can’t decide if you want rice or pasta because it’s technically both! Some make it with orzo but I like the pasta to be closer in size to the rice. So I use Fideo – which really is just thin spaghetti cut into half inch pieces (so don’t stress looking specifically for fideo, but know that Barilla does carry it). I use a long grain rice, but you can also do a wild rice. How ever you pull it together – you are going to love this Garlic Rice Pilaf.

My kids actually like this as a lunch option too. It is pretty easy to make in the middle of the day and we typically have all of the ingredients on hand. If you want to make a vegetarian version – you can use vegetable broth. I like the flavors of chicken broth so that’s what I usually use. Here comes the broken record – just don’t use only water! It is a huge opportunity to add a layer of flavor to your dish.

Versatile is a great way to describe this side dish. You can put it was any of the big proteins – chicken, beef, pork, fish, lamb….really anything. I served it with My Raspberry Chipotle Chicken and it was a match made in heaven. The sweet spice of the chicken was supported by the solid but subtle flavors of the rice pilaf.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Garlic Rice Pilaf

A classic and versatile side dish for when you can't decide if you want rice or pasta!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken broth, fideo, Garlic, rice, rice pilaf, thin spaghetti

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Butter
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 cups Fideo or thin spaghetti cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 cups Long Grain Rice
• 6 cups Broth chicken or vegetable
• 1 tsp Parsley

Instructions

• In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add butter. Once melted add garlic and onion, let sauté for 2 minutes. Then add rice and fideo and stir to toast until slightly brown.
• Add broth and parsley. Let come just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover pan. Let cook for 15 minutes. Then remove from heat without removing lid, until ready to serve.