Baked Orzo
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!
Servings: 4
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)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 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.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup finely diced yellow onion, 1 pound lean ground beef, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 3 cloves garlic
- 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.)1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce, 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, 12 ounces dry uncooked orzo
- Carefully transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
- 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.2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 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.
- Let the casserole rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Video
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 copycat: After stirring in the spinach, add dollops of ricotta to the skillet before topping the casserole with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 720kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1840mg | Potassium: 1460mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2467IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 279mg | Iron: 6mg
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