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The Easiest One Pan Caprese Pesto Orzo Bake. Trust me, this is going to become your new go-to for busy nights. Roasted tomatoes with garlic, shallots, and olive oil, all tossed together in a casserole dish with dry orzo pasta, basil pesto, then finished with melty mozzarella cheese. This incredible dish is all made in one large baking dish without even having to boil any water. Just mix, bake, eat, and enjoy!
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I know this is a recipe post, but for long-time readers, I just have to quickly say how incredible the last few days have been. Your support for me is just so sweet and incredible to feel. I feel so very loved by you all and I just want to say thank you, thank you!
For everyone who has already received the book, what’s your favorite recipe so far?!
Going to chat more about all this fun stuff on Sunday, but I just had to say thank you!
Ok, ok, back to today’s recipe. This is the easiest recipe and certainly my favorite of the week!!
I honestly have no idea how I thought to put this one together, but it’s pretty perfect. The flavors are nothing new by any means, but the cooking method is super smart. And the end product is so very delicious.
A lot of times one-pan pasta dishes aren’t cooked properly. But because we’re using orzo, which is such a small pasta, it cooks up really well!!
Here are the simple, simple steps
Start out by roasting the tomatoes, just to get them cooking before we add the pasta. I added some garlic, shallots, and chili flakes to bump up the flavor a bit.
When the tomatoes start sizzling, pull them out and add the DRY orzo pasta, a jar of basil pesto, and some peperoncinis. The peperoncinis are not traditional for Caprese, but I’m obsessed with them and they add a lot of flavor to the dish.
The next key ingredient…water or broth.
So simple, and yes, technically not an ingredient. But the water cooks the pasta just as if we had boiled it on the stove. Once the water is in, bake another 10 minutes or so. Allowing the water to cook into the pasta, then stir the orzo mixture, and sprinkle over the cheese. Now finish baking!
Finish it up and eat
When the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted, pull the pan out. If there’s a lot of oil on top from the jar of pesto, just drain that off and save it for dipping with bread (YUMMM).
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!
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 Caprese Pesto 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!
Easiest One Pan Caprese Pesto Orzo Bake
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
- chili flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 1 (8 ounce) jar basil pesto
- 2-3 tablespoons sliced peperoncinis
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, shallots, basil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Roast 10 minutes. Pull the tomatoes out of the oven. To the same pan, add the orzo, pesto, and peperoncinis. Pour over 2 1/2 cups of water and stir to combine. Return the dish to the oven and 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 over the cheese. Bake another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce bubbling. If there's a lot of oil from the pesto on top, drain off the excess. Top with fresh basil!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
We loved this recipe! Fresh, easy and delicious. Thank you!
Hey Cari,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Great flavor, but I had to add additional water and cook linger in order to get the orzo soft. Next time I’d just cook the orzo separately.
Hey Cheryl,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Sorry your orzo took longer than expected! xTieghan
Could you substitute chopped roma or on the vine tomatoes instead of the cherry tomatoes?
Hey Terry,
Sure, either of those would work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Love this! So easy and delicious. I added spinach when I sprinkled on the cheese. Delicious served with seared capresed chicken breasts (same seasonings with a balsamic glaze). So good!! Thank you, Tieghan 🙂
Hey Kristen,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan, I made this last week and it was wonderful as is but, I would like to add some meat to it and wondered what you would suggest? Could I add some shredded cooked chicken or would that just dry out during the baking?
Appreciate your help and sorry if this is a stupid question.
Thank you so much, I do enjoy your recipes and want to try more. Want to buy your book for my daughter and possibly daughter-in-law!
Hey Hope,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Not a stupid question at all, I would add cooked chicken right before baking, I think that would work well for you! xTieghan
Made this for Easter lunch!!! Delish and I rate it a 10!!!!
Hey Theresa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I made this and shared with friends we all loved it thanks.
Hey Deborah,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Have the best week!? xT
I made this with a couple of modifications:
1. used 1 cup of cauliflower rice (higher protein and no gluten) and 1-1/2 cups hot water instead of 1 pound of orzo
2. used about 2 Tablespoons of pesto because it is so high in calories and oil
3. added 2 Tablespoons kalamata olives
We loved the flavors and it’s always good to find recipes that don’t require a lot of dishes.
Hey Sharon,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Have the best week!? xT
Hi! I’m making this tonight. When you say “one shallot”, is it the whole shallot or just one bulb? Thank you!
Hey Katie,
For this recipe you will want to use just 1 bulb:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Tried this tonight for myself and hubby! What a hit! I used penne instead of orzo but ding dang was it amazing! Next time I make it I’ll definite add shredded chicken or pancetta!
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
I tried this for the first time tonight. A family hit! Next time I may put a greek spin on it: lemons, feta, oregano, and olives. We’ll see how it goes.
Hey Erin,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
When do you add the tomatoes back in after you first roast them?
No need to take the tomatoes out of the dish. Just add the rest of the ingredients and continue to roast with the orzo and other add-ins.
Hi Jordyn,
The tomatoes are never removed from the pan, you are just removing the pan from the oven to continue with the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I also thought the tomatoes were removed from the pan! The wording confused me.
Yum, yum, yum! Very flavorful and loved it was all done in one dish. Will definitely be making again?
Hey Kim,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xx
Def want to try this. How much water do you add??
Hi Cathy,
You will use 2 1/2 cups of water in step 2. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Fantastic! So flavorful and delicious and so, so easy! A hit with everyone!
Hey Jennifer,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xx