This dreamy orzo dish started my love affair with small pastas five years ago. Prepare easily Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta with spinach, crispy bacon, and every vegetable you can dream of.
This delicious and healthy one-pan dinner is one you can whip up any time of the week. Everyone loves it thanks to the flavorful, crispy bacon. Personally, I’m a huge fan because it’s a great excuse to use up every vegetable in the fridge (including all the spinach!).
I recommend serving this recipe with my best garlic bread. Why not?
Everything you need to make Parmesan Orzo Pasta
This easy Garlic Parmesan Orzo is loaded with colorful veggies, tender orzo pasta, and flavorful bacon. What more could you ask for?! Here’s what you need for this:
- Orzo: The base, of course, is delicious orzo!
- bacon: It’s adding a nice, savory, salty element to the bacon.
- produce: You’ll also need garlic, onions, spinach, shredded carrots, red bell peppers, zucchini, and corn. Very cool!
- condiment: Don’t forget a generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Chicken Broth: Boil orzo low-sodium chicken broth to make it tender and flavorful.
- Parmesan: You have to have cheese that melts in every bite! Plus, garlic and Parmesan cheese together is just a *chef’s kiss*.
- To decorate: I like to finish the dish with lemon zest, lemon juice, and a drizzle of hot honey. Yum.
Our Favorite Ingredient Swaps
Want a little customization? Here’s what I recommend as a replacement for this orzo recipe:
- Switch up the bacon. Instead, you can use thinly sliced sautéed chicken sausage or even cooked and shredded chicken!
- Make it vegetarian. A can of rinsed and drained white beans or roasted crunchy chickpeas would be a perfect swap for bacon to keep this recipe vegetarian.
- Choose your pasta. I love the creamy flavor of orzo, but you can use any pasta shape you like! Orecchiette or angel hair would be really cool. You can use your favorite gluten-free or whole grain pasta.
- Top with vegetables. Feel free to change or add any vegetables you like. Broccoli looks delicious.
Tips for the Best Garlic Parmesan Orzo
- Use fresh Parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese that comes from green bins often contains ingredients that harden, so it often doesn’t melt well. We want freshly grated Parmesan cheese for flavor and creaminess!
- Cook the bacon properly. Use high-quality bacon and cook it over medium heat, then change to medium-low heat to prevent it from burning. You can even cook it in the oven with this tutorial! Cook for longer depending on how crispy you like it, then wipe off any excess grease from the bacon once it’s done.
How to Store Leftover Food
Store leftover orzo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. Simply reheat in a microwave-safe container.
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More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Check out all our amazing noodle and pasta recipes here!
I hope you like this easy and delicious garlic parmesan orzo recipe! If you made it, please let me know if you liked it by leaving a comment and rating. Enjoy, X!
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125 Incredibly Healthy, Sometimes Indulgent, and Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Spinach Garlic Parmesan Orzo with Crispy Bacon
by
Easy and flavorful Spinach Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta with crispy bacon and awesome vegetables like red bell peppers, zucchini, spinach and more. This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo Recipe makes a perfect meal prep dinner in one pan and is delicious hot or cold!
ingredient
- 10 piece Raw thick-cut bacon (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 Red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- ½ cup Finely diced or shredded carrots (1 medium carrot)
- 1 Medium pumpkin, quartered
- ⅔ cup frozen or fresh corn
- 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, additional salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz. Uncooked orzo pasta (about 2 cups dried orzo)
- 4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cup Spinach, roughly chopped
- ⅔ cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 small lemon
- 2~3 tablespoon hot honey
guideline
Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook the bacon: Place a large ovenproof skillet or 3.5-quart braiser over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Once the bacon is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.While the bacon is cooking, chop the vegetables.
Carefully drain the bacon grease (transfer to a medium bowl and set aside).
Cook vegetables: Add 1 tablespoon bacon grease to the same pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly soft, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and a pinch of pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add orzo and broth: Add the orzo to the pan and toast for 1 minute, stirring frequently, to add flavor. Stir in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat.
baking: Cover and bake until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and stir in Parmesan cheese and spinach until spinach is wilted and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Top with lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Top with bacon pieces and a drizzle of hot honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like to add lots of pepper to this dish. Adding pepper makes it taste really good! If you think it needs a little more Parmesan cheese, add ¼ cup more. take pleasure in!
Recipe Notes
To make it vegetarian: I think a can of washed and drained white beans or roasted crunchy chickpeas would be really good options.
nutrition
clothing material: 1Servings (of 6)calorie: 473knifecarbohydrate: 50.4gprotein: 21gprovince: 22.7gSaturated Fat: 8.8gfiber: 8.6gsugar: 12.4g
Recipe by Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photo: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published March 26, 2019, republished September 1, 2021, republished April 12, 2023, and republished May 26, 2026, and includes updated ingredients and oven baking instructions.
