Orzo is the Italian pasta shape named for its resemblance to grains of rice.
The word orzo means “barley” in Italian, a reference to the pasta’s small, grain-like appearance. Despite looking like rice, orzo is made from wheat semolina and is classified as pasta rather than a grain.
Orzo is used in soups, salads, pilafs, and baked dishes. It is particularly common in Italian and Greek cooking, where it may be paired with vegetables, herbs, cheese, or meat. In Greece, a related rice-shaped pasta is known as kritharaki.
Because of its size, orzo is sometimes confused with other tiny pastas such as acini di pepe or pastina. Those shapes are smaller or differently formed, whereas orzo has the elongated oval profile associated with rice grains.