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The Easiest One Pan Spinach and Artichoke Orzo Bake. Trust me, this is going to become your new go-to for busy nights. Marinated artichokes with fresh spinach, garlic, and olive oil, all tossed together with dry orzo pasta, basil pesto, and then finished with melty fontina cheese. This tasty dish is all made in one pan without even having to boil any water. Simply mix, bake, eat, and enjoy!
Happy Monday! I’m writing this from sunny, warm Miami. Here for a very quick trip but soaking up as much of the warm weather as I can. But by the time you read this, I’ll be home.
I made this yummy bake last week and have been so excited to share it ever since. It’s so good and I think you’ll all love how easy it is to make!
If you remember from last year, I made a Caprese Orzo Bake that I quickly started to make on repeat throughout the spring and summer.
It’s such a smart cooking method that saves us all so much time. And because of that, we especially love this recipe.
I took inspiration from that recipe and applied the cooking method to this orzo bake. I just love the variety of flavors! Plus, it means that there is truly no effort to this one pan pasta dish.
Here are the details
This recipe is so simple it’s going to shock you!
Start with your baking dish. Use a casserole-style pan that can fit lots of pasta and cheese.
To the bottom of the pan, add in the olive oil, garlic, herbs, and spices. I used a few Italian chilies for some heat, and a small amount of paprika too.
Add dry orzo pasta right to the pan, no need to boil it!
Now, mix in the artichokes. It’s best to use jarred marinated artichoke hearts. They’ll come with a mix of oil and spices. I use the DeLallo brand.
Dump the oil and artichokes directly into the pan with the orzo for an even more delicious flavor.
Next mix in basil pesto and a pinch of chili flakes. Or try using the Calabrian chili paste I’ve been loving.
From here simply add water and bake it all up in the oven. As everything bakes together, the orzo will soak up the water and become perfectly cooked. It’s such a simple way to cook orzo pasta!
Pull the dish out, add a mix of mozzarella and provolone cheese, then bake again until the cheese is all melty and bubbling up.
It’s going to smell so delicious!! The pesto really is such a nice addition to the spinach and artichokes.
Top with plenty of fresh basil and that’s literally it. SO SIMPLE, SO DELICIOUS! And I love that there’s basically no prep or extra dishes.
Simple but delicious really is the key! Especially as we head into the nice springtime weather! Of course, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Looking for other easy pasta bakes? Here are my favorites:
One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
4 Cheese Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta Bake
Lastly, if you make this Easy One Pan Spinach and Artichoke Orzo Bake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pan Spinach and Artichoke Orzo Bake
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 543 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- 1-2 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chili paste, or chili flakes, to taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 1 jar (12 ounces) marinated artichokes, quartered (or use 2 smaller jars)
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the olive oil, garlic, shallots, basil, paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Add the dry orzo, artichokes, and pesto. Pour over 2 1/4 cups of water and stir to combine. Place the spinach on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until most of the water has cooked into the pasta, but not all of it.3. Stir the pasta around, then sprinkle the cheeses overtop. Bake another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling. If there's a lot of oil from the pesto on top, drain off the excess. Top with fresh basil!
This post was originally published on February 27, 2023
Delicious. I’m not a huge fan of artichokes to begin with but thought I’d give this a go and it turned out great. The basil pesto and cheese made this very flavorful and yummy. I did end up baking it longer after adding the cheese to soak up more of the fluid in the dish.
Hey Katie,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
Looks like you used a shorter grain orzo. Is there such a thing?! Thanks!
Hey Kelly,
Here is the link for the orzo that I used:
http://l.thrv.me/HBH3439-montebello-organic-orzo
Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love this recipe! xx
Fantastic recipe! We typically eat meat at every meal in our house and even my husband was telling me how delicious this was knowing there wasn’t meat in it. I didn’t have the right pepper so I used red pepper flakes and I’ll tone that down next time annd even with the extra kick this was still delicious. Usually I’m a cheese lover, but I’ll probably decrease this a little next time or maybe mix some more in. Overall this was another big win from HBH!
Hey Brittany,
Happy Wednesday!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I made this last night and as some others have commented, it took longer in the oven before the orzo was cooked. It was a bit dry after the first bake, so I added more water. That said, it was very good and easy to make.
Hey Susan,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Sorry to hear this took longer than expected! xx
This caught my eye because I had most of the ingredients and wanted a meatless meal tonight. We both loved it! It is something different and easy to make!
Hey Vicki,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Made tonight and my husband and I loved it. Paired with a salad. Really easy quick meal on a snow day with great pesto flavor
Hey Amber,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
We made this tonight and agree that adding chicken would make this more of a main dish. We thought it was spicy. (I did use red pepper rather than chili flakes.) It was a comforting dish, but I think our orzo needed to cook a bit longer.
Hey Laura,
Amazing! Thanks so much for giving this dish a try and sharing your review! I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
I made this for dinner tonight and it was very good. My husband really liked it. Definitely takes longer to cook than 25 minutes. I made this for my main dish and it’s more of a side dish. I didn’t have the Calabrian chili paste so I used red pepper flakes instead. Unfortunately, I also didn’t have a shallot, so I used a yellow onion instead. The shallot would have been so much better, and I should’ve used more of the red pepper flakes than I did. I will definitely make again but as a side dish!
Hey Kristi,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
It looks like there are pine nuts on top but don’t see them listed in the recipe?
Hey Susan,
Pine nuts are not needed in this recipe, but if you want to sprinkle some on top go for it! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Should I drain the artichokes?
Hey Amy,
Nope, no need to drain the artichokes:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This looked so good, tried it last night. Not sure if I did something wrong, followed the recipe to a tea. It was low on flavor and mushy, not a success.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Was there anything that you adjusted or anything that I can help with? xT
Tieghan,
so I went back today, reheated a portion, and tried to determine what was wrong. It was flavorless, but with a tartness that was not good.
I used artichokes from Whole Foods, it was an “ALL BRAND” marinated jar, and I included the juice. I think this may have been the problem.
I used the Chile mix from Trader Joe’s, which is great, and followed the recipe to a tea, so I think the marinade may have been the problem.
Ahhh gotcha!! Sorry about that!!
This was so delicious. I ended up needing to cook it a little longer to absorb the water and cook the orzo but it turned out great. Added a little roasted chicken and loved it! I will make this again.
Hey Deb,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
I need an orzo alternative as well. Wondering about the riced cauliflower or maybe even some quinoa? Would love suggestions as this looks delicious!!
Hey Kathleen,
Unfortunately, I really don’t think riced cauliflower or quinoa are going to be the best options here as the recipe would need to be altered and I have not tested that. I would use arborio rice, gf orzo, or another gf mini pasta. I hope this helps! xx
Saw this in my email this morning. So tired of same old dinners so hubs went to get what we needed. It was great, we both loved everything about it. Just bought your cookbook, time for some new adventures in eating.
Hey Sue,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you:) I hope you love the cookbook! xT
I’m wondering if this could be made with riced cauliflower instead of the orzo?
I’m wondering about the riced cauliflower too
Sorry Kara, I don’t think that would be the best option to use here:)
Hi Sue,
Unfortunately, I haven’t tested that and the riced cauliflower would probably need an adjustment to the liquid for best results. Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx