Next Post
Lebanese Chicken with Charred Lemon Cauliflower.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
The simplest weeknight-style 20 Minute Orzo Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata…that everyone in the house will love. It’s has a classic creamy Italian carbonara sauce, but is updated with orzo pasta, crispy prosciutto, and burrata cheese. This simple orzo carbonara is made in under 30 minutes and is a great way to use a mix of pantry and fridge staples. The perfect any night of the week dinner that comes together in just minutes.
I am truly all about the quick-cooking recipes this week. Monday was a super fast 25 minute Thai Black Pepper Chicken. And today we have an even quicker 20 minute Orzo Carbonara. I guess simple is the name of the game this week.
And you guys…this is so simple. But this is also…SO good. It’s extra creamy and extra simple, but still full of fresh spring flavors that I just cannot get enough of. Plus, it has crispy prosciutto, which I also can’t get enough of. Bacon is traditional in Italian carbonara, but sometimes it’s nice to switch things up.
You all remember how I said we have only been going to the grocery store once a week? Well, this recipe is the result of a bare-bones fridge with nothing but spinach, herbs, cheese, and plenty of prosciutto…plus a pantry full of orzo. I’m not going to lie, at this point, I miss being able to head to the store for just one ingredient that I must have. Or that super fresh piece of salmon. Or you know, all the dang produce I can get my hands on. But I’m really trying to make what I have work throughout all of this.
I know you all are attempting to do the same. So hopefully, you’ll enjoy yet another quick-cooking pantry style recipe that really uses what you’ve got.
Let’s talk about the ingredients.
At first glance, you might not think you can pull this off with only pantry staples, but the fresh herbs on top are misleading.
Let me break the ingredients down for you…
You need prosciutto, eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic, herbs (these can be fresh or dried), orzo pasta, spinach (fresh or frozen), and burrata cheese. Personally, I always have these ingredients on hand. If I don’t have fresh herbs, then I most definitely have dried. And if I don’t have fresh spinach, I have frozen.
So you see? Staples.
Onto the details for this 20 minute Orzo Carbonara.
With a 20 minute cook time, you can imagine this recipe is easy. First things first, you should pull out all of your ingredients. The key to a good carbonara is to serve it right after tossing. So having everything prepped and ready to go before cooking is key.
Start with the prosciutto. I prefer to bake the prosciutto in the oven as it’s hands-off. It also ensures the prosciutto gets evenly cooked and gets crispy all around.
While the prosciutto is cooking, boil the orzo. Then whisk the eggs with parmesan, garlic, and whatever herbs you have on hand. I like to use a mix of basil, thyme, and chives. If you’ve never made a carbonara pasta, it’s a classic Italian pasta dish. It’s unique in that it uses raw eggs. Tossing the raw eggs with hot pasta and plenty of parmesan cheese creates a delicious sauce. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs and produces the silkiest, smoothest, and creamiest pasta sauce. It’s melt in your mouth good. If you’ve tried my roasted cherry tomato carbonara from many summers back then you know just what I’m talking about.
As soon as the orzo has finished cooking, immediately toss it with the eggs. This step is really important, but don’t worry it’s also really easy. Just be sure to toss, toss, toss for a good minute until the sauce thickens. You’ll then have perfect orzo carbonara.
At this point, I toss in some fresh or frozen spinach (thawed out and squeezed dry). Then serve topped with torn burrata cheese and that extra crispy prosciutto. If you have them on hand, add fresh herbs. If not a simple drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper over the burrata will do.
And that’s it, simple as can be…
But. So. Very. Delicious. The salty, crispy prosciutto really seals the deal.
PS. I have been sourcing all of my herbs and edible flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals on a weekly basis. Having the fresh herbs and color in my kitchen have made all the difference during this time of “quarantine” cooking.
Substitutions and suggestions…
Of course, if you happen to have other produce on hand, you can really toss in whatever you’ve got. This is a great way to get in your vegetables and use up any herbs that might be going bad in the fridge.
Some ideas…
One, roast chopped broccoli or asparagus alongside the prosciutto.
Or two, add grated zucchini or top the orzo with peppery arugula.
Any of these would be delicious. And of course, you don’t have to use orzo, any cut of pasta works. Though I do think the orzo is most delicious.
Biggest bonus? Your kids will love this too, just tell them the green specs are special COVID fighting herbs. Or maybe double the parmesan. In my book adding more cheese is always a good idea…whether you’re a kid or an adult.
watch the how to video:
Lastly, if you make this 20 minute orzo carbonara with crispy prosciutto and burrata, 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!
20 Minute Orzo Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 508 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces prosciutto, torn
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried basil)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta (use gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped (or 6 ounces frozen, thawed spinach)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces burrata or ricotta cheese, at room temperature
- fresh herbs and or microgreens, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the prosciutto in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and cook 8-10 minutes, until the prosciutto is crisp.2. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, parmesan, garlic, basil, thyme, and chives, in a large serving bowl.3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the orzo until al dente. Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup pasta water, then drain.4. Immediately add the hot orzo to the egg/cheese mixture, tossing quickly (to ensure the eggs do not scramble) until the eggs thicken and create a sauce. Thin the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches your desired consistency. Add the butter and spinach and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Divide the orzo among plates and top with freshly torn burrata cheese, the crispy prosciutto, and fresh herbs. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over top. Enjoy!
Just made this. Whoa!! Amazing!! Thank you.
Hey Kelli,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xTieghan
THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS. I am saving this recipe for suuuure. I opted to use ricotta because the burrata was too $$ (but I may try it with burrata next time!). Thank you for this super tasty and easy dish!
Hey Angela,
So great to hear! Love that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Have a great week? xTieghan
This was so easy and delicious! I made this with pancetta instead of prosciutto and it turned out so well!
Hey Kristin,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was delish!!! Used GF Orzo and modified the recipe for my dietary restrictions and it turned out perfect. Bufala Mozzarella was perfect in this dish. I have yet to have made one of her recipes that hasn’t turned better than expected! Thank you for sharing your talent with us Tieghan!
Hey Lori,
I am so excited that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! ?Tieghan
Very good and easy week night recipe! I used the juice of half a lemon on top and it really tied it all together!
Hey Bri,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great Wednesday! xTieghan
Another hit!! This was perfection and I didn’t change a thing (rare for me to not mess with a recipe but this is perfect as written). Thanks again!
Hey Laura,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this last night, with all the ingredients, as indicated in the recipe. It was very tasty, but it definitely took me much longer than 20 minutes. It took me 20 minutes to prep the ingredients, and 20 minutes to assemble. As I made it ahead of dinner, I put it in a covered casserole in a 350 oven to warm it up, then dressed it with the burratta and proscuitto before serving.
Thanks so much for trying the recipe Christine, sorry this took you longer than expected! xTieghan
This was excellent! I particularly loved the crispy prosciutto and burrata on top. Will definitely make it again. Thank you!
Hey Mariana,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
OMG, This was so amazing, and so easy to make! I’ve been following you for years, but this is the first recipe I felt like I needed to review ?
Hey Annie,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Easter ?Tieghan
Delicious! I loved the crispy prosciutto. I’d never had it that way before. Made this with Banza rice which is just like orzo but made with chickpeas, so it feels guilt free. 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Stefanie,
Happy Weekend! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi! I usually make carbonara with half and half rather than the eggs… will it work with this recipe too?
Hey Gili,
Sorry I’ve not tested this, the key for a carbonara is the egg:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Hello, can i replace with egg with something else? Thank you ?
Hey Noor,
So sorry the egg is really key for the sauce here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Yes it will work just fine with a bit of cream or even softened cream cheese or a mix of the two!! There are lots of pasta dishes made creamy that way. I know the classic carbonara is made with eggs, but (even though this recipe looks delicious), the ónly thing it has in common with a classic carbonara is the egg and (non crispy) prosciutto. So feel free to adjust to your liking!
2 questions: Why Orzo pasta. Does it enhance the taste of this recipe or is just texture the goal? Would any another pasta make any difference?
Best,
Mitchell
Hey Mitchell,
Any short cut pasta will work well here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Kids took one bite and said, “you NEED to make this again!” It was delicious. I was a bit nervous about the egg sauce so I whisked 1/2 cup of pasta water into the egg mixture and then cooked it over a simmering pot on the stove until it thickened (I’m used to making hollandaise sauce this way so I felt more confident that the eggs would be cooked enough). Tossed with the pasta and topped with ricotta and crispy prosciutto. I added baby spinach thinking it would wilt in the hot pasta, but it wasn’t hot enough and the leaves never wilted. It was a bit off-putting, so I’ll definitely chop them smaller or wilt them beforehand next time. User error! Otherwise fantastic. Thank you!
Hey Nicole,
I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
We had this for dinner and loved the quickness to it. It was so yummy and I really enjoyed all the flavors it adds. We used mozzarella instead for the price and used dried thyme and basil instead of fresh. So yummy!!
Hey Brittany,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xTieghan