This Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo recipe is made in one pot and ready in less than 30 minutes! It’s perfect for busy weeknights, or to serve at a dinner party or a special occasion!
For more orzo pasta recipes, check out my Sausage Orzo Soup, Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta, or these 10 Best Orzo Recipes!
Table of Contents
This Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo Pasta is packed with so much flavor!
With a creamy sauce, tart sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and delicious Parmesan cheese, it’s a great dinner recipe or side dish for almost any occasion.
Easy One-Pot recipes are essential here, and orzo is one of my favorite types of pasta, so I love making this dish!
This delicious dish is so easy to throw together, it’s a handy one to keep up your sleeve for busy nights.
The whole family will love it as a main dish, though it’s great as a side dish too. Try serving it alongside some Baked Chicken Breast, some Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin or these Turkey Meatballs.
Ingredients Needed:
- Broth: I always use low-sodium chicken broth as it has a great, warm flavor, but you could use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian if you prefer (swap the parmesan for a vegetarian option if you need).
- Pasta: you can find orzo pasta at your local grocery store. It looks like rice grains but is a short-grain pasta.
- Tomatoes: use sundried tomatoes packed in oil for the best flavor. They are robust and tart, which is perfect with creamy orzo.
- Seasoning: freshly minced garlic, salt, and black pepper will season this dish perfectly.
- Spinach: fresh spinach adds color and nutrients to this dish.
- Cream: the cream will make a deliciously creamy sauce, melding the flavors together.
- Cheese: freshly shredded Parmesan cheese works best here.
- Parsley: fresh parsley adds a peppery, earthy flavor to this dish.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo
This recipe couldn’t be easier! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Cook orzo and other ingredients: Combine broth, orzo, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium skillet. Cook to al dente.
- Add remaining ingredients and serve: Stir in spinach, cream, Parmesan, and parsley, and serve.
Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo FAQs
Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of broth or cream.
Yes! You can freeze this orzo pasta by packing it in an airtight container and then storing it in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then warm on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of liquid to moisten.
Tips and Notes
- Sun Dried Tomatoes. Slice the sun dried tomatoes into small pieces so they mix well with the sauce and pasta.
- Stir while cooking. Be sure to stir the dish often as it’s cooking to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo Variations
- Add some heat. Add some red pepper flakes, a little bit of hot sauce, or some cayenne pepper to the dish to add some spice.
- Use different herbs. Use other fresh herbs like fresh basil, fresh thyme, or oregano to easily change the flavor.
- Try other cheeses. Parmesan cheese has a great, cheesy, salty flavor, but you can use any kind of cheese you like. Try this dish with some sharp cheddar cheese or feta cheese crumbled on top!
- Add-ins. Pine nuts, bell peppers, mushrooms, kalamata olives, chopped artichoke hearts, or peas would make great additions for more color and nutrients in this dish.
- Flavor. Add some more flavor with a dash of Worcestershire sauce or lemon juice.
Serving Suggestions
Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo can be served on its own as a main dish with some bread on the side to make it a complete meal.
We love this No Knead Artisan Bread, Garlic Bread, and these Olive Garden Copycat Homemade Breadsticks!
You can also make it as a side dish to some cooked chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Try this Greek Chicken Marinade, Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast, Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast, Crockpot Tuscan Chicken, or this Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan!
Make this dish go a bit further by serving some veggies on the side, like my Air Fryer Broccoli, Corn on the Cob, Air Fryer Green Beans, or these mixed Roasted Vegetables.
More Easy One-Pot Meals To Try
Sun Dried Tomato and Spinach Orzo
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta (about 278 grams)
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil – drained and sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup cream (any kind — heavy cream will give richer flavor, light cream will be a bit thinner)
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine broth, orzo, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium skillet.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, stirring often (you can cover or leave uncovered). Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked to your preference. (If you want to cook the pasta further but the liquid is gone, just add a splash more broth).
- Stir in spinach, cream, Parmesan and parsley and serve.
Notes
- Broth: I always use low-sodium broth so I can adjust the salt to my tastes. If you are using salted broth, you may want to wait to add salt until the end (since the Parmesan is also salty)
- Orzo is one of the best pasta types for a one-pot pasta because it is small, but any short pasta will work here. If you use long pasta, I recommend breaking it into smaller pieces so that they don’t clump together.
- Spinach: you can substitute with frozen spinach that has been thawed and drained — you’ll use about ½ cup.
- Cream: I prefer heavy cream here, for a rich and flavorful sauce. However, you can use any cream or even whole milk or evaporated milk — the richer the dairy, the richer the flavor and the thicker the sauce.
- Store: Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freeze: Put it in an airtight container and then store it in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then warm on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of liquid to moisten.
Nutrition Information
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Julie Corlew says
This came out perfect! I followed the recipe exactly as it’s written. I roasted skin on/bone in thighs and served them on top of the orzo. My whole family loved it! Thanks for such a yummy and easy recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Julie!
Alyson says
Mine ended up gummy. The flavors good but texture off. May make again with adjustments.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alyson, if it was gummy, it sounds like the orzo was cooked just a little too long.
Lauren says
Deeeeeelicious! So creamy and cheesy (I added a bit extra). Loved every bite!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lauren! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Kiana says
Next time I will leave out the parsley and either will skip the tomatoes or replace them with cherry or grape tomatoes. We didn’t love the flavor of the sun dried tomatoes. Definitely will be making again though!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback Kiana!