Parmesan and Spinach Orzo
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This creamy, velvety orzo side dish is quick and easy + will go with any main dish! An absolute family-favorite.
why i love this recipe
- Crowd-favorite. Not sure what side dish to whip up tonight? This orzo dish is a guaranteed hit with the entire family, and the kids won’t even notice those flecks of green (aka sneaked in veggies for those picky eaters). It’s creamy, garlicky-cheesy goodness.
- Dresses up any meal. This easy side can be paired with anything and everything – steak, shrimp, chicken, all of the things – complementing and rounding out any meal (and honestly making them even better). Added bonus: orzo is quick-cooking, perfect for those busy weeknights, weekend entertaining or holiday get-togethers.
- Short ingredient list. This recipe does not require a ton of ingredients, and most of them are fridge and pantry staples.
- Flexible recipe. This dish is easily adaptable to what you have on hand. You can swap out the spinach for green peas, stir in fresh herbs (ex. thyme or rosemary), add some leftover rotisserie chicken or serve alongside everyone’s favorite garlic butter shrimp.
what is orzo
Orzo is a short-cut type pasta, similar in shape to a long grain of rice. Orzo can be added to dishes, helping to thicken the dish naturally by releasing starch as it cooks, yielding a richer, more velvety smooth consistency.
how to make this easy side dish
- Cook the orzo in boiling salted water, stirring occasionally
- Cook the garlic and onion (and fresh herbs if using)
- Add the flour
- Stir in the milk until thickened
- Add in the leafy greens, then Parmesan, then orzo, seasoning to taste
- Serve immediately
tips and tricks for success
- Cook the orzo until al dente. The orzo is cooked when it is tender but still firm with a chewy bite.
- Add protein. Turn this into a complete meal, serving alongside lemon garlic chicken, honey salmon in foil or a ribeye steak.
- Add more vegetables and greens. Mushrooms, peas, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli and leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard or arugula) are all great additions.
- Use high quality Parmesan. While powdered Parmesan can be a convenient option, it contains additives and fillers resulting in a gritty, sawdust texture. Opt for good quality, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan – this gives that favorited rich, nutty flavor to the dish.
- Stir often. Orzo releases quite a bit of starch during cooking. Frequent stirring will prevent the orzo from sticking and clumping, yielding even, creamy goodness.
- Add a splash of liquid when reheating. Add a splash of water or milk (about 1 tbs per 1 cup orzo) to prevent from drying out.
what to serve with parmesan and spinach orzo
- Tuscan Lemon Chicken
- Baked (Healthy) Salmon
- Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi
- Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts
- The Perfect Steak with Garlic Butter
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
For the best texture and flavor, use a large, heavy-bottomed skillet that holds heat evenly.
Parmesan and Spinach Orzo: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This orzo dish will pair very well with any main dish. Top with chicken, shrimp, steak or vegetables.
Frozen, thawed spinach can be used in place of fresh spinach. But be sure to squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible – this will help prevent watered down orzo.
Kale, collard greens, swiss chard or arugula are all great options to swap out the spinach.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes! Reheat over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding a splash of water or milk as needed.
Parmesan and Spinach Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan until melted, about 1 minute.
- Stir in orzo; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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This recipe was just perfect. Love that it was so easy! It paired really well with grilled scallops!!! Soooooo good! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes! Can’t wait until your cookbook comes out!
I made this tonight, but used chicken broth instead of milk and made it with rice. Absolutely delicious! My husband, who usually doesn’t eat rice and my SIL came back for seconds. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
This dish is amazing. I substituted spinach for kale because I couldn’t find any in the impromptu making of the dish. The kale tasted swell you just need to make sure you don’t get roots in it. It’s so delicious and creamy, fairly easy to make. Comes out thicker than picture in my opinion. Very nice
One cup dried or cooked orzo
Megan, the uncooked orzo is cooked in the very first step:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
This was super easy and delicious. I made it as a side with your wonderful shrimp scampi recipe. This was great as a side for four people – we ate all of it! 🙂
So…about 6 months ago my 3 year old daughter managed to sneak a box of orzo into my cart at the store. I broke down and made orzo for the first time tonight. Pretty tasty!
Made this tonight, substituted boiling salted water for 50/50 water and stock…
My wife thinks this is the best meal I have ever made, better than her favourite Vindaloo…
Make sure to taste and season (salt, pepper, more parmasan) correctly at the end, as of tonight, this is now a regular dish for us…
Thanks CHUNGAH
Hi, this sounds delicious. Having a barbecue next weekend and wondering if this would be good served cold if I made it ahead of time? I have never made orzo before.
Just made the recipe. It’s really creamy…maybe too creamy. I think if you’re not a huge cheese fan you might want to consider cutting the parmesean to 1/4 cup as opposed to 1/2 cup. Otherwise, great recipe!
This was awesome!!! Loved it! Served with kielbasa, it was fantastic!
Great recipe.
Thanks!
YUM! I just served this for dinner with ham. It was easy to make & just delicious! Thanks for the inspiration.
Happy 4th of July!
I made this twice already, once at home and the other to bring to a friend’s BBQ! Best tasting recipe ever!!
First of all- thank you for your great recipes! I’m always pleased with entrees I find on DamnDelicious, this one was no exception. That being said- possibly helpful comments for others…use a small onion. Even though we love onion, I used a large one and it took away from the yummy texture of the orzo. Also, next time I make this- and I will make it again- I will add a bit more liquid to make really creamy. I used 3 oz (half a bag of baby) spinach if that helps.
Thanks again!
This is so yummy. I made it with whole wheat gemelli, so yummy and cheesy! Greta blog by the way, coming here for yummy recipes
I recently discovered your page and have become addicted. I’ve tried 2 recipes so far and am hooked! Everything is so delicious and your blogs are enticing and quirky. Thanks a lot for sharing your talent and hobby with the public!
Hi. I just pinned this on Pinterest and it came up under low calorie recipes. I can’t find the nutritional info on this. Do you happen to have it? Making it tonight. Thanks.
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Should this be made with whole, 2%, or skim milk (If it even matters)?
Whole is always best but you can really use any kind of milk you have on hand.
I made a huge pot of this and it came out so good! Can’t wait to eat this for lunch during the week.
Heather
My oh my, this looks so tasty and comforting. Love your photography, too! And pasta + creamy + spinach? What’s not to love? Great recipe!
My favorite flavors! Thanks for sharing!