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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
This was so easy, and very tasty! I saw the comments that it needed more time in the oven and more water to cook the pasta, but there weren’t any details in the top group of comments. Here is what I did, and the pasta came out perfectly:
-added 3 cups of water
-baked for 15 minutes without the spinach
-added spinach, baked for the 15 minutes
-stirred, added the cheese, and baked for 10 minutes
Served with chicken thighs on the side
Hey Lauren,
Thanks so much for sharing your adjustments and what worked well for you, I love to hear that this dish was enjoyed! Happy Monday! xx
This was a winner! The dish is so flavorful – I did add a bit more water than recipe called for and cooked it about 22 minutes to make sure the orzo was done. I only used 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes, I think 2 tablespoons would have been too spicy for us! I will definitely be making this again, and will recommend it to others.
Hey Sandy,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this dish was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! xx
Made this last night – added 1/2 pound cooked ground chicken and 3/4 block of cream cheese broken into 3/4 inch pieces. Everyone loved it – not a morsel left – and it came together SO quickly. Great recipe Tieghan! Next time I will add 1 full lb of ground chicken and a whole block of cream cheese.
Hey Kris,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Wow! This was great! I added ground turkey for a protein and it turned out amazing. It took a little longer for the orzo to cook than the first 15 minutes. I left it in the oven for another 5 minutes before adding the cheese and the second round of baking, and it was perfect! So easy – thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ll definitely add it to the rotation to try again with different proteins.
Hi Hayley,
Wonderful!! I’m so glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
Made this tonight and we love it!! I too only used half the amount of chilli flakes and it was the right amount of heat! Wasn’t sure how much salt to add but seems I did good as the meal was not salty! No problem with excess oil.
Hey Wendy,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! xT
Holy wow! This tasted incredible. I ended up cooking mine a few minutes longer than suggested… I used whole wheat orzo so it may have needed the extra time. I also only used 1 tbsp of calabrian chili paste and it was the right spice level for me. I didn’t have any issues with excess oil. I used the broil setting on my oven for a few minutes to make the cheese crispy and it turned out perfect! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
First time using Calabrian chilies. I bought a jar of chilies for another recipe you had, but decided to make into a paste for this recipe. Being my first time I used a little over a tsp. Flavor was really nice, but will try more paste next time.
I also substituted cauliflower rice for the orzo, and no water.
Definitely a keeper recipe! Your picture looks like it has pine nuts on it.
Hey Dawn,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! You could definitely add some pine nuts! xT
Hey Bree,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing what worked well for you and making this recipe! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Just yummy my family loved it
They scraped the dish nothing left
Great combination of flavors!😎
Hey Debbie,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! xT
Can’t wait to try this! I’m making tonight for a dinner party. Did you drain the artichokes or use the brine? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie,
I used the oil from the artichokes:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi,
I’m confused. Do you drain the artichokes or use the stuff that comes in the jar and also add extra olive oil?
Hey Liz,
I did not drain my artichokes:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi Tieghan!
Do you think it’s possible to do this with frozen spinach?
Can’t wait to try it!
Hey Gwen,
I would thaw and drain the spinach first. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Such a flavorful and easy meal to prepare. Loved the tangy artichoke burst and cheesy topping! Way to hit another home run Tieghan!
Hi Debbi,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have a great weekend! xx
Delicious, but I don’t think Tbsp was the right unit of measurement for the chili flakes (I used 1). My kids couldn’t even eat it, it was so spicy😔. It was so delicious, I powered through the burn😄. I will definitely try it again, but in tsp.
Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for making this recipe! Sorry about the spice, my family loves heat but of course adjust to your liking next time!! xT
Made this today, everyone loved it. I love a recipe that has some tweaking room and still tastes delicious. I reduced the orzo and water by half and substituted the other half of orzo with 12 oz riced cauliflower. I agree with a previous comment that the orzo took longer to cook. I ended up baking the dish for about 25 min before adding the cheese. My artichokes were packed in water so I added more seasoning. I didn’t have pesto or fontina cheese. I used frozen basil packed in olive oil from last summer’s garden and a mixture of mozzarella and parmesan. Thanks for a great one pan dish!
Hey Valerie,
Happy Saturday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing what worked well for you, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
So easy and so good, it’s toddler approved. I’d definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Briana,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have a great weekend! xx
So easy to make.
Has so much flavor.
Hey Rachel,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have a great weekend! xx
Not too bad. Definitely one to play around with a bit.
Ours came out with the orzo rather unevenly done (a lot very al dente) and VERY oily (yes, we tried to drain).
Good flavors though and easy to add protein to.
Hey Morgan,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it wasn’t a fave! xx