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.
Looking for more one-pot creamy side dishes? Try Lemon Spinach Orzo, Zucchini Risotto, or Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta.
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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
- 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.
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How to Make Creamy Tomato Orzo
Follow the numbered steps below to easily make a one-pot creamy tomato orzo.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Step 9: Add the heavy cream and mix throughout. Serve hot!
Pro-Tips
- 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.
- 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.
- Toasting the orzo will release its natural nutty flavor adding more complexity to the dish.
- Stir the orzo occasionally to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the parmesan before you add the heavy cream or it might not properly melt throughout the orzo.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Orzo is also called risoni.
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
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.
One-Pot Creamy Tomato Orzo
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Toasting the orzo will release its natural nutty flavor, adding more complexity to the dish.
- Stir the orzo occasionally to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the parmesan before you add the heavy cream, or it might not properly melt throughout the orzo.
Vinny says
A creamy delicious side dish perfect to serve with chicken cutlets. My kids love this one! Leave a revieww if you try it!