This Parmesan Lemon Orzo Pasta is ready in just 25 minutes. This creamy, delicious one-pot recipe is great as a meal or served as a side dish.
This Parmesan Lemon Orzo Pasta is one of my easiest recipes. Not only that, but it’s seriously delicious! I’ve made it a main meal and a side for my breaded chicken cutlets, seared salmon, and garlic butter cod. Each time it was a big hit, even with the kids!
JUMP TO RECIPEWhy This Recipe Works
- Garlic gives this simple sauce an extra depth of flavor.
- A mixture of milk & chicken stock offers creaminess without too making the dish too heavy.
- Lemon zest and juice add brightness.
- Parmesan cheese provides richness and an extra layer of flavor.
The best part of this simple dish is that it’s all cooked in one pan for minimum effort. The pasta develops incredible flavor as it absorbs all the goodness of each ingredient as it cooks.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Orzo – I use dried orzo pasta. You can use whole wheat, but the cooking time may be longer.
- Milk – Whole milk works best. You can use low-fat milk, but the color will look less creamy. You can also use all stock and omit the milk altogether.
- Stock – Chicken stock works really well, but if you’re looking for a vegetarian option, it can be replaced with vegetable stock
- Vegetables – I use baby spinach because of its quick-cooking time, but it can be easily replaced with chopped baby asparagus, frozen peas, or corn.
- Cheese – Parmesan cheese melts easily into the sauce, but it can be replaced with pecorino Ramano, Asiago, or Grana Padano.
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter, add the garlic, and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds).
Add the milk, and stir with a whisk to deglaze the pan.
Stir in the chicken stock, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and orzo. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered (occasionally stirring) for 8 minutes. Then add the spinach.
Stir in the spinach. If the mixture looks too dry, add more stock or cream to loosen, and allow to cook until the spinach is wilted and the orzo is al-dente.
Remove from heat. Mix in the cheese and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed before serving.
Serve immediately to avoid drying out the sauce.
Erren’s Top Tips & Variations
- The liquid quantities may vary depending on the heat of your stove, so keep an eye on it as it cooks. If it looks like it needs more liquid, add a little more stock or milk. If it seems too wet, let it sit for a bit longer, and the pasta will soak the excess liquid.
- Swap the spinach with baby asparagus, frozen peas, or corn. You can swap it for longer-cooking vegetables, but they will need to be added sooner than the spinach.
- Omit the cream and swap it with extra stock for a more savory dish.
- Add some protein – Brown chicken or sausage meat before cooking the garlic for a whole new dish.
Storing Leftovers ?
I don’t recommend using this recipe as a make-ahead or freezer dish. Freezing will change the consistency of the pasta, and making ahead will dry it out and bloat the pasta.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days, then reheat it on the stove with extra liquid to loosen until just heated.
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Let’s Make Parmesan Lemon Orzo Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups milk or cream
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz orzo pasta about 1½ cups
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- 8 oz fresh baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice about 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat a large deep skillet over medium heat.
- Melt the butter, add the garlic and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds).
- Add the milk, and stir with a whisk to deglaze the pan.
- Stir in the chicken stock, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and orzo.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered (occasionally stirring) for 8 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and allow to cook until the spinach is wilted and the orzo is al-dente (about 7 more minutes). If it looks too dry, add more stock or milk to loosen.
- Remove from heat. The sauce may be a little thin but will thicken as it cools.
- Mix in the cheese and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed before serving. Serve immediately to avoid drying out the sauce.
Susan says
delicious! will make again and again
Erren Hart says
Thank you for the rave review! Happy cooking!
Sharon says
When do you add the lemon zest? I see it in the ingredients but do not see it in the recipe instructions.
Erren Hart says
Hi Sharon, it’s added with the chicken stock.
Erren Hart says
Thank you for leaving a comment about this recipe. Your feedback is appreciated, and I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for future recipes. Thanks again for trying it out and sharing your thoughts!
Annie says
I’ve made this a few times now and my kids can’t get enough of it! Its the only way they’ll eat spinach! Thanks, Erren!
Erren Hart says
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so happy you love it, and we hope you’ll continue to enjoy it for years to come. 🙂
Thank you for being a part of the Erren’s Kitchen community!
Denise says
This Pasta was absolutely amazing! It was so easy to make and the flavor was incredible. I cannot wait to make this again. Thank you, Erren, for sharing this delicious recipe.
Erren Hart says
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for trying out this recipe and for leaving such a positive review. We’re glad you enjoyed it and hope you’ll come back again soon!
Erren Hart says
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! I always love hearing from my readers. Thanks for leaving a comment and letting me know what your thoughts are on this one – it’s really helpful!
Sarah Brown says
Delicious and easy! Followed the recipe exactly to what was written – total success!
Debby says
What an amazing meal! I never would have thought to use one pot for this, but it worked well and created such a different flavor than what we were originally going for!
Gemma says
I made this dish with half & half and spinach; just absolutely mind blowing good!
Erren Hart says
Hi Gemma, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe so much! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back to leave a review!
Erren Hart says
Great to hear! Let me know how it goes!