• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Always From Scratch
  • Old School Italian Recipes
  • Hearty Italian Soups
  • Classic Pasta Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Old School Italian Recipes
  • Hearty Italian Soups
  • Classic Pasta Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
    • Email
    • Instagram
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Old School Italian Recipes
    • Hearty Italian Soups
    • Classic Pasta Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Email
    • Instagram
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Italian and American Pasta

    One-Pot Creamy Tomato Orzo

    Published: Oct 1, 2025 by Vinny · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A One-Pot Creamy Tomato Orzo packed with juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, and parmesan creaminess. It's perfect for chicken, beef, or fish while bringing big flavors to a weeknight meal, but still simple enough to make in under 30 minutes.

    Creamy tomato orzo in a bowl.

    Looking for more one-pot creamy side dishes? Try Lemon Spinach Orzo, Zucchini Risotto, or Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta.

    Jump to:
    • Why this One-Pot Recipe
    • Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
    • How to Make Creamy Tomato Orzo
    • Pro-Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • What to Serve this One-Pot Orzo with
    • More Delicious One-Pot Dishes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Reviews

    Why this One-Pot Recipe

    My wife and I love this recipe for so many different reasons, but the big one is that you can start with any of your favorite cast-iron dishes, like Italian Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin or Cast Iron Lemon Dill Salmon, and use the fond from the pan to create a delicious dish all in one pan!

    Here are some other reasons this Creamy Tomato Orzo is the best:

    • It's a great replacement for boxed mac and cheese and has vegetables in it that are almost undetectable for kids.
    • Perfect to serve along with other vegetables like Zucchini alla Scapece.
    • It's cooked in under 30 minutes.
    • You can add meat like pancetta or sausage with Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning.

    Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

    Ingredients for the recipe.
    • Cherry Tomatoes. I prefer using cherry tomatoes for their sweeter flavor over grape tomatoes. Their skin will break down more easily and release more liquid. I recommend the same with Creamy Cherry Tomato Risotto.
    • Orzo. You can replace the orzo with pastina or ditalini.
    • White wine. White wine can be forgone if you prefer not to use alcohol, but it does add a bright flavor and helps to deglaze the pan.
    • Shallot. Substitute a small yellow onion.
    • Chicken broth. Homemade always provides more flavor for creamy tomato orzo.
    • Parmesan. Substitute pecorino romano and grana padano.

    *Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    How to Make Creamy Tomato Orzo

    Follow the numbered steps below to easily make a one-pot creamy tomato orzo.

    Sauteing shallots and garlic in the saucepan.

    Step 1: Over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to a saucepan. Once hot, add shallots and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

    Caramelizing tomato paste in the saucepan with shallots.

    Step 2: Add the tomato paste and combine well with the onions and garlic. Let the tomato paste cook for 3 minutes to caramelize and add intense tomato flavor.

    Sauteing cherry tomatoes in saucepan.

    Step 3: Then stir in the cherry tomatoes. Cook until the skins start becoming wrinkly, and they begin to release their juice, another 3-5 minutes.

    Toasting orzo and then simmering in white wine.

    Step 4: Stir in the orzo and combine well with the ingredients. Allow the orzo to sit and toast for 1-2 minutes.

    Step 5: Pour in the white wine. Simmer the white wine until completely absorbed while using a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the pan.

    Simmering orzo in chicken broth.

    Step 6: Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the broth is absorbed, while stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking.

    Combining orzo with spinach and parmesan.

    Step 7: Stir in the spinach and cover for 2 minutes until it wilts. Stir it into the pasta

    Step 8: Then stir in the parmesan and remove the saucepan from the heat.

    Combining orzo with heavy cream.

    Step 9: Add the heavy cream and mix throughout. Serve hot!

    Creamy tomato orzo in a bowl.

    Pro-Tips

    1. One-Pan Magic! Use your cast iron pan to make the PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast or Cast Iron Boneless Pork Chops first and the fond from the meat will add so much flavor to your pasta.
    2. Caramelize the tomato paste. Let the sweetness of flavor develop from the tomato paste for a more intense tomato flavor in the creamy tomato orzo.
    3. Toasting the orzo will release its natural nutty flavor adding more complexity to the dish.
    4. Stir the orzo occasionally to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
    5. Add the parmesan before you add the heavy cream or it might not properly melt throughout the orzo.

    Recipe FAQs

    What kind of white wine do you use?

    When I use white wine to deglaze with pasta, I'll typically use a sauvignon blanc because it has a crisp flavor that can't be missed in the sauce.

    What else is orzo called?

    Orzo is also called risoni.

    Can you substitute grape tomatoes for cherry tomatoes?

    I never recommend this substitution because grape tomatoes always take longer to break down than cherry tomatoes and you have to account for that in your cooking. They also tend to be slightly more bitter.

    What to Serve this One-Pot Orzo with

    Creamy Tomato Orzo is the perfect side dish because it is easy to make and can be made with the same pan you fry or sear your meat in!

    • Meat. Serve it with Italian Chicken Cutlets, No Egg Chicken Cutlets, or Chicken Rollatini!
    • Seafood. Along with some delicious meals are seafood dishes like Fried Flounder Oreganata, Pan-Seared Vermillion Snapper, or Pistachio Crusted Fish.
    • Vegetables. It definitely needs another vegetable alongside it, like Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan), which would be a perfect secondary use of cherry tomatoes, or another cooked green like Sauteed Rapini with Garlic.

    More Delicious One-Pot Dishes

    • Lasagna soup in a bowl with a dollop of ricotta garnished with parsley and parmesan.
      Best One-Pot Lasagna Soup
    • chicken scarpariello sitting on a plate with its braised juices
      Restaurant-Style Chicken Scarpariello
    • Beef and barley soup in a pot.
      Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms
    • creamy lemon chicken
      Chicken Breast in Lemon Butter Sauce

    Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.

    📖 Recipe

    Creamy tomato orzo in a bowl.

    One-Pot Creamy Tomato Orzo

    Vincent DelGiudice
    Creamy tomato orzo is the perfect side dish to add to any protein or vegetable. It's flavorful, creamy, and an easy replacement for boxed mac n cheese!
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Pasta, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 324 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 large saucepan or cast iron

    Ingredients
      

    • 1.5 cups orzo
    • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 shallot, chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
    • ½ cup white wine
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 2 cups spinach, chopped
    • ¾ cup parmesan cheese, grated
    • ½ cup heavy cream

    Instructions
     

    • Over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to a saucepan. Once hot, add shallots and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
    • Add the tomato paste and combine well with the onions and garlic. Let the tomato paste cook for 3 minutes. Then stir in the cherry tomatoes. Cook until the skins start becoming wrinkly, and they begin to release their juice, another 3-5 minutes.
    • Stir in the orzo and combine well with the ingredients. Allow the orzo to sit and toast for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the white wine. Simmer the white wine until completely absorbed.
    • Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the broth is absorbed.
    • Stir in the spinach and cover for 2 minutes until it wilts. Then stir in the parmesan and remove the saucepan from the heat. Finally, add the heavy cream, and serve!

    Notes

    1. One-Pan Magic! Use your cast iron pan to make the PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast or Cast Iron Boneless Pork Chops first, and the fond from the meat will add so much flavor to your pasta.
    2. Caramelize the tomato paste. Let the sweetness of flavor develop from the tomato paste for a more intense tomato flavor in the creamy tomato orzo.
    3. Toasting the orzo will release its natural nutty flavor, adding more complexity to the dish.
    4. Stir the orzo occasionally to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
    5. Add the parmesan before you add the heavy cream, or it might not properly melt throughout the orzo.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 12gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 575mgPotassium: 353mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1589IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 193mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?We'd love for you to Leave a Review!

    More Italian and American Pasta

    • Pasta and Potatoes on a plate topped with parsley and parmesan.
      Pasta and Potatoes (Pasta e Patate)
    • Pumpkin pasta in a bowl topped with pumpkin seeds and pancetta.
      Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
    • Fettucine in alfredo sauce in a pan with tongs.
      Authentic Fettuccine Alfredo
    • Marinara sauce in a pan garnished with basil.
      The Ultimate Guide to Marinara Sauce

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Vinny in the Kitchen.

    Vinny DelGiudice, MS CCC-SLP

    My name is Vinny. I am an Italian-American home cook, a photographer, and previously, a speech pathologist specializing in swallowing and voice disorders. I share the recipes I grew up eating in my home and the recipes that I cook for my family. Always From Scratch is about cooking homemade meals and eating with family.

    More about me →

    Italian Fall Classics

    • Tomato soup in a bowl topped with cream, olive oil, and basil.
      Creamy Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup
    • white bean lentil soup
      White Bean Lentil Soup
    • Sliced pork tenderloin served on a plate with roasted potatoes and broccoli.
      Italian Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin
    • Italian wedding soup
      Italian Wedding Soup
    • chicken breast cooked in cast iron skillet and sliced
      PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast
    • Italian chicken cutlets on piled on a plate.
      Italian Chicken Cutlets

    Our Top Recipes!

    • Boneless pork chops cooked on a plate with rosemary and thyme
      PERFECT Cast Iron Boneless Pork Chops
    • Fettucine in alfredo sauce in a pan with tongs.
      Authentic Fettuccine Alfredo
    • rustic italian tortellini soup topped with parmesan
      Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage
    • Restaurant style chicken francese
      Restaurant-Style Chicken Francese
    • creamy lemon sauce
      Creamy Lemon Sauce
    • A dutch oven filled with escarole and beans along with a bowl of the same.
      Escarole and Bean Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up!

    Contact

    • Want to work with us?
    • Video Editing Service
    • Instagram
    • About

    Disclaimer: I may earn from affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Always From Scratch

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required