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Parmesan and spinach orzo
Literally all I have been craving is pasta.
Yes, orzo is pasta!
I love cooking with orzo. I think it’s the most under-appreciated pasta out there.
You have penne, rigatoni, elbows, fettuccine, etc., and they’re always in everyone’s pasta bowls but orzo is like the ugly step sister that always gets left out.
Well, I’m about to give orzo a comeback! Orzo will be the pasta of the year. Ok maybe not, but I do have quite a bit of orzo recipes on the blog that you should give some love to and give orzo a bit of spotlight in your house!
This parmesan and spinach orzo is so easy to make and I love how cheesy it is! I think you will love the simplicity of it, as well. Sometimes, the most delicious meals are the ones that require just a few ingredients!
Substituting other pastas in this parmesan and spinach orzo
While you are free to substitute whatever pasta you want, keep in mind that your ingredient measurements may be off.
Larger pastas (ziti, rigatoni, penne) will need more cheese and spinach.
Stick to smaller grain pastas like ditalini, elbows, etc.
Adding ingredients to parmesan and spinach orzo
If you want some extra protein, some cubed chicken thighs would be a great addition! Or shrimp!
If you like another type of vegetable, a tender green would be a good substitute. I can’t help but love dinosaur/lacinato kale.
Omg, adding gruyere or even blue cheese crumbles to this would be epic. You don’t have to keep it to one cheese but to make this parmesan and spinach orzo simple, I chose to make it with a combo that everyone can get behind.
Other orzo recipes
One pot creamy orzo with chicken sausage
One pot creamy poblano corn orzo
Leek and mushroom boursin orzo
Parmesan and Spinach Orzo
Ingredients
- 16 ounce (454 g) orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (237 ml) of whole milk
- 1 ½ cups (45 g) baby spinach
- 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to directions on the box then drain and set aside.
- In a large pot over medium high heat, cook garlic in olive oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour into the pot then gently whisk in the milk. Let mixture thicken, about 1-2 minutes then add in the spinach and Parmesan cheese.
- Add the orzo pasta to the pot, stir to coat and incorporate. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve hot and top with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Nutrition
Photography by Ari Laing
Loved this!!! I substituted whole wheat flour and almond milk for the flour and whole milk. Worked great!
Just made this today- it’s sooo delicious! I love anything with pasta, spinach, and cheese, so this was perfect. All I added were some mushrooms, but followed everything else. This will definitely become a regular in our house.
Loved this! I beefed it up with some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes
Great idea!
Made this for dinner tonight after seeing it on Pinterest – it was delicious! The only problem I encountered was a lot of orzo getting stuck in my mesh strainer. But now that I’ve dealt with that I’m excited to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
Glad you enjoyed this, Kaitlin!
Thanks for another great one, Julie! I had this as a side dish with Italian hot turkey sausage and the flavors paired deliciously!
Glad this one worked out for you as well, Kelly!
This looks delicious Julie!
I made this tonight for dinner. I used organic whole wheat orzo. It turned out delicious and my boyfriend ( who’s pretty picky) loved it as well. Great recipe!
I’m so happy you and your boyfriend enjoyed this, Jade!
I lived in Austin 4 years before moving to Chicago. “Moonshine” has THE BEST brunch I’ve ever had. Gourmet, delicious brunch buffet. Sundays only though!
Well I will be stalking your IG the next couple of days. How wonderful!!! Please do not hold back on the food pics. Have a great time!
You certainly can’t go wrong with this orzo pasta dish!