Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Creamy lemon orzo is a delectable pasta dish, loaded with healthy kale and spinach, and delicately nuanced with lemon and Parmesan cheese. This entire recipe is made in one pan, pasta and all.
How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet
Servings: 4
Creamy, Bright, and Full of Greens
The first time I made this creamy lemon orzo, we could hardly wait to try it. It has everything going for it: tender greens cooked perfectly, creamy sauce with cheese, and those crunchy little pine nuts. We were not disappointed!
And orzo! It’s one of my favorite pastas. It cuddles up to the greens so nicely and travels on a fork so politely. Orzo is really just a friendly little pasta and it cooks quickly, too. If you’re not familiar with orzo, it’s time to say hello!
What makes it special:
- A versatile side dish. This recipe combines pasta with healthy greens. It goes really well with simply prepared chicken, fish, pork, or beef. Add a citrus fruit salad, and you’re good to go. You could also serve it as a meatless main.
- Creamed spinach on steroids. Creamy lemon orzo may remind you a bit of creamed spinach, only it’s better and a little more substantial. In addition to spinach, this recipe includes kale. Orzo adds a nice chewy texture and contrasts well with the greens. The flavor is more nuanced than creamed spinach with the addition of lemon, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- A one pan recipe. You have to love that! The orzo cooks right in the sauce. That makes cleanup a snap. If you like the idea of one pot pasta recipes, be sure to try rasta pasta or Mexican spaghetti, too.
“Fabulous! Every time I’ve made this for guests, they asked for the recipe. Also, grandchildren loved it.”
Kale 101
You may be confused by all the different types of kale. Very generally, there are two main types: curly and flat. Curly kale has large ruffly leaves with a tough center spine.
Tuscan kale falls into the flat category. The leaves are rather long and narrow with a pebbly texture. It tends to be less bitter and more tender. Other names for Tuscan kale are dinosaur kale, lacinato kale, Italian kale, palm tree kale, or flat back kale.
Ingredient Notes
- Greens: For this recipe, I use a combination of Tuscan kale and baby spinach. You can use different greens if you prefer.
- Orzo: Although orzo may look like rice, it’s actually a small-sized pasta that cooks quickly.
- Butter/Olive Oil: A combination of butter and oil gives your dish the best qualities of both: great flavor and higher smoke point.
- Garlic and Shallots: These two aromatics are members of the allium family. Shallots are more finely textured than onions and have a milder taste.
- Creamy Sauce: The sauce is a combination of heavy cream, broth, and grated Parmesan cheese. Lemon zest and lemon juice balance the creaminess, and add a touch of sweetness, while a pinch of red pepper flakes gives the sauce a little punch.
- Toasted Pine Nuts: This is an optional garnish but the crunchy nuts add great texture and nutrition. For best flavor, be sure to toast the pine nuts.
How To Make Creamy Lemon Orzo
Assemble the ingredients. It’s good practice to assemble everything you need before you start cooking. You’ll be able to enjoy the cooking process rather than scurrying around, rummaging in the refrigerator, or hurriedly chopping onions on your cutting board.
Prep the kale. Wash the kale leaves well in cold water, changing the water a couple of times if the kale is particularly sandy or dirty. Shake the excess water from the leaves.
Strip the leaves from the fibrous stems. Start at the bottom and run your hand along the stem, tearing the leaves off as you go. Another way to accomplish this is to fold the leave in half along one side of the stem and slice along the fold, removing the stem. Roughly chop the kale.
Prep the remaining ingredients. Peel and slice the shallot, mince the garlic, and measure out the broth and cream. Zest the lemon and juice it, in that order. (It’s so much easier to zest before juicing.) Grate the cheese and roughly chop the spinach.
Sauté. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the kale and shallot; stir well. Cook the kale for a few minutes or until it begins to soften and turn dark green, stirring constantly.
Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and keep stirring for another minute. The garlic will smell really fragrant.
Make the sauce. Pour in the broth, then the heavy cream. Stir well.
Add the pasta. Stir in the orzo and reduce the heat.
Simmer. Let the orzo simmer in the sauce until it’s al dente. Give it a stir occasionally to make sure that it cooks evenly and isn’t sticking to the bottom. If it’s sticking, lower the heat a bit. Try not to overcook the orzo. You want it to stay firm, not get mushy.
Stir in spinach. Add the spinach to the pan, stir, and turn the heat off. The tender spinach leaves will wilt almost instantly once they hit the steaming hot sauce.
Finish. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes; stir gently until everything is combined.
Serve. Dinner is ready to be served! Garnish the pasta with toasted pine nuts, if you like. This creamy pasta with greens is a hearty side dish or it can be a meatless main dish. Serve it alongside easy baked lemon salmon with dill, grilled chicken, or air fryer pork chops.
More Kale Recipes
This creamy lemon orzo recipe may get you thinking that you’d like to eat more kale. Here are a few of my favorites: slow cooker chicken kale soup (with an impressive 6 cups of kale, along with lots of other veggies), kale and pear salad with yogurt dressing, and gnocchi with kale and sun-dried tomatoes (another one pan recipe). I actually have lots more recipes with kale.
To get a head start on this recipe, you can prep the kale up to a couple days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate: Creamy lemon orzo is best eaten immediately but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The orzo will continue to absorb liquid so you may need to add additional broth or cream when you reheat it. I don’t recommend freezing it.
Reheat: Microwave individual portions in 1 minute increments, stirring each time, until warm. Larger amounts can be reheated in a skillet. Use low heat and try not to overheat it because high heat may cause the sauce to separate or curdle.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #63. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list.
More Orzo Recipes
Creamy Lemon Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped Tuscan kale (1 bunch, 3 to 4 ounces)
- 2 large shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth (use lower sodium, if possible)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup orzo, uncooked
- 5 ounces baby spinach (roughly chopped)
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if desired)
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Measure out ¾ cup heavy cream to allow it to warm up a bit. Rinse the kale thoroughly to remove sand and grit. Tear or cut the leaves from the tough stems, discard the stems and roughly chop the kale (you should have about 2 cups). Thinly slice the shallots and mince the garlic.2 cups chopped Tuscan kale, 2 large shallots, 3 cloves garlic
- Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add kale and shallots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for one minute, stirring, until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Increase heat to medium high; add chicken broth and cream. Bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo, and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until orzo is tender, about 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Try not to overcook the orzo; it should be fairly firm, not mushy.2 cups chicken broth, ¾ cup heavy cream, 1 cup orzo, uncooked
- Stir in spinach to wilt. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.5 ounces baby spinach, ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Serve as a hearty side dish, garnished with toasted pine nuts, if desired.¼ cup toasted pine nuts
Notes
- Kale: You can use any flat leaf kale. Other names for Tuscan kale are dinosaur kale, lacinato kale, Italian kale, palm tree kale, or flat back kale. Curly leaf kale will work, too, but it tends to be a bit tougher and more bitter.
- Orzo: Orzo is a small pasta which cooks fairly quickly. It is sometimes confused with rice but it’s a pasta, not a grain. You do not need to rinse it before cooking it.
- Vegetarian: Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make this recipe vegetarian.
- Storage: Leftover pasta can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, although it’s best eaten immediately. I don’t recommend freezing it. Reheat over low heat, adding cream or broth if it seems too thick.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Fabulous! Every time I’ve made this for guests, they asked for the recipe. Also, grandchildren loved it.
So glad to hear it! It’s one of our favorites too.
I got spinach and kale in our CSA box this week so I made this for dinner tonight. Great balance of healthy and tasty. I may add in some kielbasa next time but I’m definitely making it again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – it means a lot!
This sounds and looks really good! I will be trying it soon, but for now I’m trying to stick to Keto eating, so I think I’ll try this with Palmini hearts of palm rice and see how that works!( I do love pasta tho!!)
Let me know how it goes!