Baked Orzo

At a glance

What stands out: This baked orzo is a cozy, cheesy skillet dinner that brings lasagna flavor to the table in a much easier form. The orzo cooks right in the pan with the sauce and other ingredients!

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: oven-proof skillet
Servings: 4

The Pasta we Make When we Don’t Feel Like Making Pasta

You know those nights where pasta sounds good, but the whole boiling water, draining, juggling multiple pans situation? Not happening. And honestly, twirling a long spaghetti noodle around your fork even seems like a little too much work.

This is what we make instead.

Everything goes into one pan, the fork-friendly orzo cooks right in the oven, and you end up with this bubbly, cheesy, scoopable situation that feels way more put-together than it should.

What makes ours special:

• Hearty and satisfying: With lean beef, pasta, spinach, and cheese, you don’t need to add anything else to make this baked orzo a complete meal.
• One-pan convenience: Regular readers know that we love a one pan dinner! Adding broth to the skillet allows the orzo to absorb it and soften right in the oven, no muss no fuss.
• Kid-friendly: Think of it as spaghetti and meatballs, deconstructed! And using orzo pasta also means no cutting the spaghetti into more manageable pieces for little ones. (That makes this bruschetta orzo pasta salad excellent for littles too!)

What goes in

• Lean ground beef (95/5): If you use ground beef with a higher fat content, we recommend draining off some of the grease. The beef is sautéed with chopped yellow onion and garlic, and seasoned with salt and pepper.
• Marinara sauce: Because this plays such an important role in the recipe, use a good one! (we stock up on Rao’s when it’s on sale.)
• Beef broth: This adds more flavor to the dish than using water.
• Orzo: Because alternative pastas (like ones made with gluten-free flours or legumes) cook at different rates and absorb water differently, we recommend using traditional orzo here.
• Spinach: Adds a pop of color and some veggie goodness.
• Cheese: Mozzarella for melt and Parmesan for nutty, umami flavor.
• Fresh basil: A fresh finishing touch! Parsley would also work if you happen to have it on hand and don’t want to buy basil.

Recipe Tip

Start with a big, big skillet. Not only do you need sufficient room to hold all the ingredients, you’ll also need enough room to stir everything without overflow. We use the largest skillet in our kitchen, about 12 inches in diameter. Don’t have a large oven-safe skillet? No worries, you can transfer the orzo mixture to a casserole dish to bake.

How it comes together

Brown ground beef. Add the olive oil to an oven-safe skillet set over medium-high heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the ground beef and chopped onions; season with salt and pepper. Let the beef brown, breaking it up as it cooks, and then drain off any grease if needed. Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook for a minute, or until it smells fragrant.

Simmer. Add the marinara, broth, and orzo; stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer; this helps jump-start the cooking process for the orzo, so it doesn’t need as long in the oven.

Bake. Transfer the pan to a 400ºF oven. (If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can pour the orzo mixture into a greased baking dish.) Bake for 15 minutes, then stir in the spinach, and then top with the mozzarella and Parmesan.

Continue baking. Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese is melty and the orzo is tender. You can put it under the broiler for a minute for a golden top. Cool for 5 minutes, then serve garnished with fresh basil.

Melanie Said:

“Made this last night and it was tasty! So fast and straightforward to put together and the cooking time was even short. This is now on our lazy night list!”

See More Reader Reviews

Ways to change it

• Switch up the protein. Swap in ground turkey or Italian sausage, or your favorite plant-based ground meat option. Canned beans or lentils also work for a vegetarian version.
• Add ricotta. After adding the spinach, add dollops of ricotta to the skillet before topping with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Make it extra melty. Love a good cheese pull? Substitute slices of fresh mozzarella for the shredded mozzarella. Keep in mind that there may be a bit more moisture on the top of your finished dish.
• Try other veggies. Stir in frozen green peas or sauté sliced mushrooms or zucchini with (or instead of) the ground beef.

Ways to serve it

Salads: Serve the pasta casserole with a green leafy salad dressed up with balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing.

Veggie side: Add a simple dish like roasted mushrooms, air fryer eggplant, or sautéed asparagus.

Serve it as a side: Skip the ground beef in the orzo and serve the baked orzo as a pasta side dish with air fryer meatballs or baked turkey meatballs.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover baked orzo in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Note that the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce, so it will be softer (and the sauce will be thicker) the second time around.

Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container or a freezer bag with the air pressed out for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave, or larger portions in a skillet or baking dish. Cover with foil, add a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce if desired, and bake at 350ºF until warmed through. (The exact amount of time needed will vary depending on the amount you’re reheating.)

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced yellow onion ( 1 small onion)
• 1 pound lean ground beef (95/5)
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
• 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 12 ounces dry uncooked orzo (about 1 ¾ cups)
• 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach (roughly chopped)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (for garnish)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet (at least 12 inches in diameter) over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking beef up into crumbles, until beef is no longer pink and onions are translucent, about 8 minutes; drain any excess grease if needed. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Pour in the marinara sauce and broth, then stir in the orzo. Bring the mixture to a simmer. (At this point, you can transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish to bake, see note.)
4. Carefully transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, stir well, and fold in the spinach until it starts to wilt. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.
6. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the orzo is tender. Broil for 1 minute if you’d like a golden top.
7. Let the casserole rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.

Notes

Bake it in a casserole dish. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, or a skillet that is large enough to contain everything, you can pour the orzo mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake as instructed, adding a minute or two to the baking time.

Possible variations: You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef, or bulk Italian sausage. For a vegetarian option, substitute canned beans (cannelini, pinto, kidney) for the meat. The spinach can be omitted if you like, or you could stir in frozen green peas instead.

Lasagna at-home: After stirring in the spinach, add dollops of ricotta to the skillet before topping the casserole with the mozzarella and Parmesan.