This creamy garlic spinach orzo is a comforting and easy to make side dish that comes together fast and will have everyone asking for seconds!
Creamy orzo is my new favorite side dish. The way I make it is sorta similar to how you'd make risotto, but it's quicker and a bit easier since we're not adding the broth bit by bit. One pot, no fuss, done and done.
I added some parmesan cheese to this orzo with spinach dish since pretty much any creamy recipe can be enhanced by parmesan cheese, amirite? Straight out of the Salt & Lavender playbook.
I suppose you could eat this creamy spinach parmesan orzo as a meatless main course if you wanted to, but I'd then definitely serve it with something like a side salad to lighten the meal up a bit overall.
You may also like my Creamed Spinach (with Frozen or Fresh Spinach!) or this Creamy Tuscan Orzo.
Recipe notes & tips:
- While you're cooking this recipe, you may think to yourself "there's way too much liquid", but I promise it all gets absorbed as the orzo cooks and it releases starch.
- I know I'll get questions on whether rice can be substituted for the orzo since it looks similar (even though one is pasta and one is not). My answer is "it depends" and "you may need to adjust liquid measurements and do some testing". Rice typically takes a lot longer to cook.
- You can use frozen spinach if you thaw it and squeeze the water out really well, but fresh spinach is probably your best bet.
- I think a bit of lemon zest would be delicious in here.
- If you don't have any heavy cream, try half-and-half instead.
What to serve with creamy garlic spinach orzo?
Try the Easiest Baked Chicken Thighs, a roast (try my Skillet Roasted Chicken), steak, or any main course really. 😛
More amazing orzo recipes to try:
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Orzo (One Pot Pasta)
I hope you will love this creamy spinach orzo recipe as much as I do! Questions? Ask me in the comments below.
Creamy Garlic Spinach Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil, butter, and onion to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often (this infuses the orzo with more flavor and toasts it a bit).
- Stir in the chicken broth and cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often. You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). You want it to gently bubble vs. furiously boil, and you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. The orzo will absorb the liquid quickly, so if it still seems like there's too much liquid, just wait a little bit longer. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- Orzo is pasta. If you want to make this with rice, you may have to adjust liquid measurements and cooking time (it would be a different recipe).
- Feel free to leave the spinach out if it's not your thing or you don't have any. I just add it for a bit of color and texture and to make it a bit more nutritious.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Katie Marini says
Can this be made ahead and reheated; how many days does it stay good?
Natasha says
Hi Katie! So, in my experience, orzo does love to soak up liquid. Leftovers will still be ok for 3-4 days, but it does tend to get a bit puffy.
MV says
Ahhhhmazing! Made it vegan with cashew cream (cashews, garlic, lemon, nutritional yeast, salt). Will definitely be making again, a new favorite.
Natasha says
That's awesome!!
Clare says
Thank you for this I really enjoyed it! I've made it as a side dish for my garlic butter chicken kiev tonight and it will be so nice on its own too! I may have added a little bit too much butter .. it's a little oily when I reheat it hah - but very delicious!
I actually really hate cooking. I'm a serial uber eats user! So for Lent I decided to give up ordering food and force myself to properly cook as a student. I find it very hard to concentrate and even this took me triple the cooking time as I'm so slow!!! But I've really enjoyed making about four of your recipes so far so thank you for making cooking worth it!
Natasha says
I love that!! I'm so happy you're pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing some cooking. 😀 Thanks for letting me know, and so pleased you like this recipe!
Jenna says
We have made this recipe many times and absolutely love it! I substituted herbes de provence seasoning for the Italian seasoning this time and it was still super delicious.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That makes us so happy to hear! So glad you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Mae says
Made this last night using the chicken version of this recipe. Absolutely fantastic and a great way to use up leftover chicken. Hubby came home and said "did you cook that in one pot", I said yes. Can you tell its he who does the dishes. Super tasty, super easy and I will be making it again and soon. Not sure why someone said theirs was soupy. Mine was perfection!
Natasha says
Haha I love that!! 🙂 Thanks for your review, Mae!
Jamie says
Made this tonight using the half and half and I LOVED it!!!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That's so nice to hear, Jamie! Thanks for reviewing!
NTrauff says
Way too much liquid for the amount of orzo......took about 30 min to reduce so it wasn't soup and then the orzo was mush. I would boil orzo until tender in chicken broth and then add to butter, onions, thickened whipping cream and then parm and spinach.
Natasha says
Sorry it didn't work out for you - that's a bummer. I wonder what went wrong since this recipe has been tested multiple times and has many 5-star reviews.
Judi says
How would I adjust the recipe if I want to add chicken.
Natasha says
If you're adding cooked chicken, I'd simply stir in in towards the end so it warms through. Or try this related recipe with chicken: https://bit.ly/3m1hY58
Lauren says
So good!! So easy and packed with flavor. Can wait to make again.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it, Lauren!
Karen D says
I made this exactly as instructed and the texture and creaminess was perfect but it was lacking something. It was a bit bland for me. I may try to add asiago cheese to up the flavor a bit.
Natasha says
Yup, everyone's tastes vary. I think adding asiago is a great idea! And make sure you add enough salt too.
Dylan says
Absolutely amazing! I included some mushrooms and asparagus as well for a bit more volume and it tasted fantastic.
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! I'm glad the mushrooms and asparagus worked with it too.
Candy says
OMG! This may be the creamiest, most delicious orzo I’ve ever had. And, BONUS! - so easy to make. Thank you so much for a recipe that will grace my dinner table often.
Btw, I paired this with Easy Chicken Piccata (cakescottage.com), simple seasoned-buttered green beans, and five-cheese Texas toast. Scrumptious!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! So happy you enjoyed it.
Sam says
This was incredible. It would make a great side dish but I’m not ashamed to say I ate it as a main course tonight. So comforting and so creamy.
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Sam.
Patricia Andrews says
Absolutely delicious and easy
Natasha says
Thank you!! 🙂 So glad you liked it.
Roy Gullick, Jr. says
I made this last night as a side for Fish Piccata (Catfish). I left out the Italian Seasoning since I didn't have any but sauté chopped cremini mushrooms until slightly crisp. This is a keeper!! I may add chicken or sausage to make it a meal in the future.
Natasha says
Nice!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, chicken or sausage could definitely be added... in fact, I have a lemon chicken version of it here: https://bit.ly/2ZP1PFr
Joanne says
Yum! Another delicious recipe that's easy to make. I substituted with lightly cooked broccoli. Next time I'll probably try it with chicken, but I think Italian sausage would work fine as well. I really like one pot meals.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 I agree about the sausage... now the gears are turning in my mind!
Kris says
OMGosh! This is wonderful! I prepared the dish just as you instructed (shocker right?!?!?!) WOWZA soooooo good! Thank you for sharing (;
Natasha says
Haha love that!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 😀
Madalena says
loved this a lot, very easy and quick. however I found that amount of whipping cream to be overpowering, next time I'm going to start with less and see how it tastes, or just add it to the end
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! You could definitely try tweaking it. Perhaps start with more broth and see how it goes.
Rae says
First time I've seen your website and first recipe. Very tasty and easy. Went well with a baked lemon cod and I'm sure many different veggies could be added in case someone didn't like spinach. Thanks for sharing.
Natasha says
Welcome to my blog! So glad you found me!! 🙂 Agreed on swapping veggies if need be. So pleased you enjoyed it!
Melinda says
We just had this as a side to grilled salmon, and it completely stole the show!! Absolutely luxurious, and I can’t wait for a little bowl for lunch tomorrow!! 🥰
Natasha says
That's awesome!! So glad you enjoyed it, Melinda!
Zue307 says
I am making this for lunch now. Instead of orzo and spinach, I used macaroni, broccoli and shredded chicken. The sauce is superb! Thank you very much, Natasha.. 💗💗
Natasha says
Enjoy!! 🙂 You're welcome!
Tracy says
Delicious! Served with fish and asparagus. My kids(5 and 7) even loved it, they said it tastes like white sauce 😂
Natasha says
Hahaha that's great!! I'm so happy it was a hit. 🙂
Kim R says
First of all every recipe I have made from your blog has been a hit. My family appreciates you! I want to make this as a side for Christmas dinner can I make ahead of time? Thanks
Natasha says
Aww that's great!! You're welcome. I think this one should be fine to make ahead of time. I'd warm it on a low heat. You may need to add a little more cream or even a splash of chicken or veg broth when reheating, though.
Lily says
This was so good! Even my husband who doesn’t like creamy meals loved it! I love all your creamy recipes so I knew I was going to like it lol thanks for al your recipes!
Natasha says
That makes me so happy!! 🙂 You're very welcome, Lily!
Mary says
Never have heavy cream in the fridge... substitute milk ???
Natasha says
Hi Mary! Sub at your own discretion. It may curdle and/or end up too watery. It won't be as rich/creamy, but it could work out (I have not tested it with milk). Let me know if you do end up trying! 🙂
Gloria Young says
Can I use a substitute for the cream?
Natasha says
You could try half-and-half.
Shameem says
Can this be made with oats or quinoa? 🤔
Natasha says
Hi! I honestly have no idea. The liquid measurements would be different, and so would cooking time. You'd have to do some experimenting. Let me know if you try!
Jessica M says
I saw this on your Instagram and I knew I had most of the ingredients on hand. It was a perfect comfort-y side dish for a chilly night. I omitted the butter and reduced the oil to made it a tad lighter. Also used whole wheat orzo and whole milk as it’s what I had on hand. I also got to use some leftover veggie broth from Thanksgiving. It turned out delicious and was a perfect side dish to lemon garlic salmon. I’ll definitely make this again!
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Andrea Crosby says
Ok so I never leave reviews
Don’t really know why but I’m here to
Tell you all that this is truly yummy!!
I loved it and it was simple to make
I will say I tried it exactly as is and loved it. I then tried it exactly but added a little lemon zest and juice
Kinda digging that as well.
Excellent recipe that I will add protein to and some toasted pine nuts for a main dish next time
Super excited to have a new go to.
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review!
camille says
loved this! so easy to cook and the flavors are great. I added roasted tomatoes and shrimp to it. Might do portabella mushrooms next time. thanks!!!
Natasha says
You're welcome! 🙂
Stephanie says
Really want to try making this! It looks delicious. What other pasta could you use as a substitute if you don’t have orzo?
Natasha says
Macaroni or ditalini maybe? But then the liquid ratios might be a little off since this recipe is designed for orzo. Let me know if you do try experimenting! 🙂
Kristin says
Absolutely delicious. Super easy to make and what a great return! Smelled and tasted heavenly. I don't normally leave comments but this was excellent. Hubby super happy. Too adult a taste for my kiddos sadly ( or maybe the wilted spinach was the turnoff) but I kept going back till leftovers were gone. I used half and half and a nice parmesan and we had with marinades ribeyes on the grill...yum!
Thank you for this new favorite!
Natasha says
I am so happy that you enjoyed it! And I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me a comment... it really helps us recipe bloggers out! 🙂
Kristin Kossack says
My pleasure! Keep up the good work! Wishes for a safe and wonderful holiday to you and yours! Thank you again😁
Natasha says
XOXO
AngelaML says
I cannot believe no one else has commented already on this so delicious recipe! So good!!!
My favorite dish at our Italian local place is the Chicken/Spinach/Tomato Risotto. So I was immediately intrigued with your version, which uses orzo instead of the rice. I tried to duplicate the dish, so added 2 cups of cooked chicken and fresh diced tomatoes. (I do not like sun dried tomatoes). I was going for a one pot meal. And we loved the results!
I also would add more garlic and the Italian seasoning, just my preference.
Thank you so much Natasha for your easy and quick recipes. They are definitely helping me get through this pandemic with providing great tasting and easy to prepare meals. Something I can control.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it, Angela! 🙂 Thanks for commenting, and you're very welcome.