one pan tuscan orzo bake;
This one pan dump and bake tuscan orzo bake is the perfect weeknight dinner. Creamy and delicious tiny orzo pasta packed with beans for protein and a ton of aromatics and vegetables. With bright pops of sundried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spinach for some extra greens, you’ll keep coming back to this one pan Tuscan orzo bake, I promise!
This recipe is adapted from Plant You’s marry me orzo, and I’ll be honest, it’s only minor adaptations because the original is great! Apparently the name “marry me” comes from a series she did of dishes so good it makes your partner propose. This recipe is delicious, but I need some cheese in a dish that’s good enough to propose for. (I do believe the original recipe over on Plant You is vegan.)
Really there’s not much to the recipe. In a large casserole dish add all ingredients except the lemon and give it a stir. Orzo is the star, a rice-like shaped pasta that has a really satisfying texture. No need to soak or do anything to it—just dump it in.
Because this recipe is so simple, you can make a few swaps, which is exactly what I did. I used chicken broth since I’m not vegetarian, and I added a teaspoon of salt into the mixture.
If using an unsalted stock or broth, add 1 tsp of salt to your mixture.
Secret to success
I also didn’t have cream on hand so I used sour cream and just mixed a few spoonfuls into the broth. Because sour cream is chunkier, you need a little whisk action to get it incorporated and not leave lumps, but you don’t need to go crazy either. You’ll stir the mixture as you go and Tuscan orzo bake is pretty forgiving, as recipes go.
I did use spinach since I had it on hand, but you could use kale or any other green you’d like. The only downside to spinach is how much it reduces once cooked down. The big raw leaves take up so much space and yet when the dish comes out of the oven I always think ‘I could have added more’.
Pack your Tuscan orzo bake with spinach, since the greens reduce significantly during baking.
Secret to success
Finishing this Tuscan orzo bake with lemon and Parmesan simply makes the dish bright and delicious. If you’re feeling extra fancy, I also recommend grating some zest from your lime to add extra brightness and extra lemon flavor. So much of a lemons flavor is in the zest, so don’t miss out! And, as I said, Parmesan is non negotiable to me. Cheeeeeeese in all things. Either cheese or chocolate belongs on everything in life, and that’s a fact. Tuscan orzo bake is no different.
To stay true to Plant You’s vegan options, use vegetable broth instead of chicken; use coconut milk or an alternative to cream/sour cream; and add nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan to finish off the dish.
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for quick and easy weeknight meals? Here’s some of my favorites!
- Love all the comfort of a chicken pot pie, but can’t wait? Try this chicken pot pie orzo and take that comfort food to an easy weeknight meal.
- Take your classic burger up a notch with the best burger rub. Make a big batch and keep it on hand for any burger.
- Easy hot honey chicken is a great weeknight meal. Simple breaded chicken, but spicy hot honey amps it up to a gourmet meal.
tuscan orzo bake;
Ingredients
- 1½ cups orzo dry
- 14 oz chickpeas one can, drained and rinsed
- 1 red onion diced
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes chopped, oil-packed or dry
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk (can use alternatives like cashew cream if desired)
- 2-3 cup spinach
- 1 tsp salt and pepper (or to taste)
- 1 lemon juiced (optional)
Instructions
- To a 9×13 casserole dish, add all ingredients except the lemon juice, and give it a really good stir.
- Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F.
- Give it a good stir, then bake uncovered for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the orzo is tender and creamy. Finish with lemon juice as desired and serve.
