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    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Creamy Parmesan Spinach Orzo (Video!)

    Published: Apr 9, 2020 · Modified: Apr 4, 2023 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe

    This quick and easy parmesan spinach orzo has a light, creamy sauce and plenty of fresh spinach. Perfect with veggies, salad, chicken, fish, or sausage!

    Orzo mixed with fresh spinach in a black bowl. this recipe

    If we pitted our favorite side dishes against each other March Madness-style, I'd put serious money on this creamy parmesan orzo.

    It's quick! Simple! Versatile! Easy to customize!

    (Also, there's cheese. You know how we do.)

    Fresh spinach and shredded parmesan being stirred into a creamy sauce.

    This spinach orzo pasta recipe is almost like an orzo alfredo: there's plenty of garlic and parmesan in a light, creamy sauce.

    For having so few ingredients, this alfredo orzo also packs an impressive amount of flavor - just make sure you're using quality parmesan cheese for best results!

    Pot of spinach cream sauce next to a pot of cooked orzo pasta.

    How to riff on this spinach orzo:

    This creamy orzo is an amazing blank-canvas recipe - it's easy to tweak, so use whatever you have! Some of our favorite additions and substitutions:

    • Cheese: Add feta, goat cheese, white cheddar, fontina, havarti, or brie in place of (or in addition to!) the parmesan.
    • Greens: We love making this orzo with spinach, but you can swap the greens here! Use kale or arugula in place of spinach if you like. Fresh or frozen spinach is fine!
    • Veggies: Make this orzo pasta even heartier by adding peas, corn, steamed or roasted broccoli, roasted brussels sprouts or parsnips, or bell peppers.
    • Protein: Stir in cooked chopped or shredded chicken, Italian sausage, or top with sautéed shrimp for extra protein. This is also good with butter beans or cannellini beans mixed in!
    • If you don't have orzo on hand, use any kind of pasta you like! For larger pastas (like rigatoni or cavatappi) you may want to use extra milk or cream to stretch the sauce a bit farther.
    Wooden spoon stirring orzo and spinach cream sauce together in a silver pot.

    What to serve with this creamy orzo:

    This easy, creamy orzo recipe goes with just about everything! Some of our favorite recipes to serve with it:

    • Easy Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon or Steelhead
    • Quick Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
    • Lemon Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
    • Easy Crusty Artisan Bread
    A black bowl filled with orzo pasta and white sauce, sitting on a white table.

    VIDEO: HOW TO MAKE PARMESAN SPINACH ORZO

      Print

    📖 Recipe

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    Wooden spoon stirring orzo and spinach in a silver pot.

    Parmesan Spinach Orzo

    ★★★★★ 4.5 from 6 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 10 mins
    • Cook Time: 20 mins
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
    • Category: Side Dish
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Vegetarian
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    An easy, creamy parmesan spinach orzo recipe.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
    • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 green onions, chopped (about ¼ cup)
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 2 Tablespoons flour
    • 1 ¾ cup milk
    • 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
    • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

    Instructions

    1. Cook orzo in very salty water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
    2. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
    3. Add green onion and garlic to oil. Sauté, stirring once or twice, for about a minute until onions have softened and garlic is fragrant.
    4. Add salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
    5. Add flour to pot and stir to combine. Let cook for 30 seconds or so to cook out any raw flour taste.
    6. Add milk to the pot a little at a time, whisking constantly to work out any lumps. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reached a low simmer, about 5-8 minutes.
    7. Add chopped spinach to sauce and stir to combine.
    8. Add parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese has melted and you have a smooth sauce.
    9. Return cooked orzo to sauce and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Additions and Substitutions. Use feta, goat cheese, white cheddar, fontina, brie, or havarti in place of (or in addition to!) the parmesan here. Swap kale or arugula for the spinach if you prefer, or use frozen spinach. Add chicken, shrimp, sausage, sautéed mushrooms, broccoli, or any other veggies you have on hand to this orzo to make it a little heartier. (For more swaps and substitutions, be sure to read the post above!)

    If the sauce is too thin, let it cook for a few extra minutes. Too thick? Add a splash of milk to thin it out.

    Use shallots, yellow onions, or white onions in place of the green onions if you like.

    No orzo? Use any pasta you like! If you're using a larger pasta like rigatoni or cavatappi, you may want to use extra milk or add a dash of cream to stretch the sauce a bit more.

    Strict vegetarians should look for parmesan cheese made without rennet.

    This recipe was updated in April 2020. 

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: Makes 4 servings
    • Calories: 368
    • Sugar: 7 g
    • Sodium: 980.8 mg
    • Fat: 13.4 g
    • Carbohydrates: 43.9 g
    • Protein: 18 g
    • Cholesterol: 16.5 mg

    Keywords: alfredo, cream sauce, pasta

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

    Love this recipe? Try our parmesan spinach mac n cheese →

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    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    Reader Interactions

    Discussion

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    1. Pamela Russell

      June 19, 2023 at 6:43 pm

      Made as a quick side for rotisserie chicken. Added a smidge of nutmeg. Delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        June 21, 2023 at 1:06 pm

        A great meal! This orzo pairs perfectly with chicken!

        Reply
    2. Stacey

      January 29, 2023 at 9:35 pm

      I’ve made this a few times now, we really enjoy it. Thank you for sharing

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        January 30, 2023 at 4:23 pm

        We're SO glad to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Sarah

      January 29, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      Very flavorful. Used red onion, more garlic and saved some pasta water to add.

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        January 31, 2022 at 11:47 am

        YIPPEE! We love those additions, pasta water is such a great tool!

        Reply
    4. Ellie

      July 16, 2021 at 10:54 pm

      Love this recipe! Made such a good side dish and excellent leftovers. Will definitely be making again!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        July 18, 2021 at 10:20 am

        WAHOO! We're so happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Rhonda

      March 15, 2021 at 11:51 pm

      I added rotisserie chicken and omg so delicious and creamy. A great addition to your comfort foods list.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        March 18, 2021 at 10:01 am

        Thanks so much, Rhonda! We LOVE the addition of chicken!

        Reply
    6. Janene

      February 17, 2021 at 3:15 am

      Made this as printed and it was just ok. Not a big fan of flour based rue. And had to add lots of salt and pepper. This was very heavy and really only needed a little half/half with the Parmesan to make it rich, decadent and flavorful.

      ★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        February 18, 2021 at 9:39 am

        We're glad to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    7. Patti

      February 05, 2021 at 12:49 am

      Could you substitute Almond Milk??

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        February 05, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Hi Patti! We haven't tested this recipe using almond milk, but we expect that unflavored and unsweetened almond milk could be used instead of cow's milk in the sauce. It will change the taste of the recipe, so be sure to use almond milk you enjoy drinking!

        Reply
    8. Leona Williams

      March 24, 2020 at 11:53 am

      This was really good, and super easy. I even used frozen spinach as I had no fresh (and we're in lockdown!). I also added a cooked egg on top, but a hard boiled egg would work too. It brought a little more protein to the meal, which I was looking for, but it could also be well accompanied by a grilled fish or chicken fillet. Yum!

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry

        April 01, 2020 at 9:09 pm

        Thank you for sharing Leona.

        Reply
    9. Pamela

      June 23, 2019 at 7:22 pm

      My husband and I loved it.. only used half the Orzo though.. Never had Orzo before, will definitely be making this again.. Thank you for the recipe 🤗

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry

        July 01, 2019 at 1:34 pm

        Hi Pamela - thank you!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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