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Rice-a-roni rice pilaf from scratch. I ate a lot of this stuff in my 20s. Hits the spot like ramen or mac n cheese and warms you up fast. This is one serving; scales more or less linearly.
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add rice and orzo and stir to coat. Fry until orzo are browned and smell toasted and rice is bright white.
Add water - the fat will bubble, be wary. Add spices and salts and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce temperature and simmer 12-14 minutes, until all water is absorbed, stirring occasionally. It will be done when there is no liquid left and it has begun to stick to the bottom of the pan, but hasn't yet burned.
Remove from heat. Grate an unhealthy amount of parmesan or similar cheese over the top, re-cover, and let sit 5 minutes for orzo to finish softening. Stir to combine.