This easy one pot spinach artichoke orzo is a simple pasta recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s the perfect side dish for a busy weeknight dinner.
Table of Contents
What is One Pot Spinach Artichoke Orzo
This Spinach Artichoke Orzo recipe is the perfect easy side dish that takes little effort.
Inspired by the classic dip, this recipe is loaded with fresh spinach, marinated artichoke hearts, cheesy orzo and fresh lemon.
It's packed full of flavor and made with minimal ingredients.
And best of all, it's made in one pan which makes cleanup a total breeze.
Feel free to add your favorite protein like rotisserie chicken, sausage, or even shrimp.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Salted Butter - If you're using unsalted butter, just add an extra pinch of salt to make up for it.
- Olive Oil - Any neutral oil will work in its place.
- Onion - Don't have onion? No worries! You can use shallots.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is best for this recipe but if you don't have any, you could use garlic powder.
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts - Make sure you buy the marinated artichoke hearts because we'll be getting a ton of flavor from the marinade.
- Orzo - I do not recommend swapping out a different pasta shape as the ratio of water to pasta differs depending on shape.
- Veg Broth - You could use chicken broth or even water if you had to.
- Fresh Spinach - If you don't have fresh spinach, you could use defrosted frozen spinach.
- Cream Cheese - Not a fan of cream cheese? Swap it out for some goat cheese or feta.
- Milk - Feel free to swap out milk for half and half or even heavy cream.
- Parmigiano - If you're looking for a substitution for parm, try pecorino or grana padano.
- Havarti - Havarti is optional but it adds so much flavor so I recommend it. This recipe would also be delicious with fontina, gruyere, gouda or white cheddar.
- Lemon - a little bit of lemon juice just really wakes everything up but if you don't like it, you could leave it out.
How to make it
Cook Onions & Garlic: Add olive oil and butter to a heavy bottomed pan (I’m using a braiser) over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Prep the Orzo Cooking Liquid: Add the entire jar of marinated artichoke hearts and the juices/oils, the uncooked orzo and the stock and stir. Once simmering, put the lid on and let cook for about 6 minutes.
Flavor the Orzo: Remove lid and add cream cheese, parm, half of the havarti, milk and spinach. Put the lid back on and let the dish cook for 4 more minutes or until the pasta is Al dente and the spinach has wilted
Finish the Pasta: Stir in the lemon juice, another hefty pinch of salt, and a ton of fresh cracked pepper. Top with remaining shredded havarti and put under the broiler for a few minutes or until golden and bubbly.
What goes with One Pot Spinach Artichoke Orzo
This easy orzo pasta recipe goes with so many things! Here's what I would pair with it:
- Honey Bourbon Chicken
- Baked Chicken Pesto Meatballs
- Poolside Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
- Chicken Pomodoro
- Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
Frequently asked questions
Can you cook orzo like rice?
You can absolutely cook orzo like rice! That's why these one pot pasta dishes are so good. All you need is the correct ratio of pasta to liquid and within 10 minutes, you'll have perfectly cooked orzo.
How do you know when orzo is done?
Orzo is done when it's al dente which means it's got a slight toothy feel but is still tender and just barely firm.
How do you keep orzo from getting mushy?
The secret to safeguarding orzo from the mush city USA lies in the art of timing. Just don't let the pasta overcook and you'll be in the clear.
Save this recipe for later
If you don't want to forget about this recipe, there are a few things you can do!
- You can print the recipe card below!
- Tap that little heart icon over to the right...
- Or you can pin any image on this page to your pasta pinterest boards.
And if you don't already, feel free to follow me on pinterest, instagram,youtube, facebook, and tiktok for tasty inspiration shared daily!
And if pinterest isn't really your thing, remember you can always scroll down to the bottom of this post and print the printable recipe card.
Recipe
One Pot Spinach Artichoke Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Salted Butter divided
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 12 oz jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts
- 1.5 cups uncooked Orzo
- 2 cups Veg Broth
- 4 cups Fresh Spinach
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 cup Parmigiano freshly grated
- 2.5 cups Havarti divided
- ½ medium lemon juiced
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Add olive oil and butter to a heavy bottomed pan (I’m using a braiser) over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the entire jar of marinated artichoke hearts and the juices/oils, the uncooked orzo and the stock and stir. Once simmering, put the lid on and let cook for about 6 minutes.
- Remove lid and add cream cheese, parm, one cup havarti, milk and spinach. Put the lid back on and let the dish cook for 4 more minutes or until the pasta is Al dente and the spinach has wilted
- Add lemon juice, another hefty pinch of salt, and a ton of fresh cracked pepper. Top with remaining shredded havarti and put under the broiler for a few minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Christina G
This dish was SO delicious! The flavors of all the cheeses with veggies make this dish a perfect balance. It's also super versatile, I may add some sundried tomatoes next time. Thank you!
grilledcheesesocial
Aww amazing! Love to hear it!