By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
161 cal · 35 min
Armenian-Style Rice Pilaf
Recipe GLPRa4181eb0c4627b
A fragrant, comforting pilaf featuring long-grain rice toasted with thin pasta and simmered in chicken stock with butter. This traditional Armenian dish has a delicate, nutty flavor and fluffy texture, finished with fresh herbs for brightness and color.
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Ingredients
1 cup Long-grain white rice
3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
¾ cup Thin pasta (vermicelli or fine spaghetti), broken into 1-inch pieces
2 cups Low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon Black pepper
1 tablespoon Fresh parsley or dill, minced (optional)
Directions
Melt the butter in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat.
Add the broken pasta to the melted butter and stir frequently, toasting until golden brown and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn the pasta.
Add the rice to the pan and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, coating each grain with butter and lightly toasting it alongside the pasta.
Pour in the chicken stock and add the salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Do not stir during cooking.
Remove from heat and let the pilaf rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with fresh minced parsley or dill if desired. Serve immediately.
Comments
This is a straightforward, forgiving dish built from staples every Charlotte grocer carries—rice, butter, pasta, and stock are at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, and ALDI without question. The cost per serving lands around 75 cents to a dollar, driven mainly by butter and stock, making it genuinely cheap for a side that feeds six. The stated 35 minutes is honest if you work efficiently, though toasting the pasta adds a few minutes many home cooks won't account for. The real limitation is that it's a same-night side dish; pilaf doesn't improve on day two and needs attention while cooking to avoid scorching, so it's not a set-it-and-forget-it weeknight rescue.
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