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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!
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.
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 was really good! The water and cook time was accurate for me. I did, however, add the oil from the jar of artichokes so mine came out much oilier than I would have wanted, but overall it was still a hit. Next time I will add cherry tomatoes, use homemade pesto, and add a little feta. Yum!
Hey Lauren,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:)
I see pine nuts in the finished photo, but not in the recipe? Any advice on how and when to include?
Hey Kristin,
If you want to add some, just sprinkle them on after the cheese:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This was so easy to put together. I followed the recipe to the tee and it cooked perfectly! My husband and I both thought the flavour and texture was awesome. This will be a regular for me.
Love it. Bit too spicy and I only used 1Tbs of Chilli flakes. Can you freeze this after cooking?
Hi Gin,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sure, you could freeze this:) xT
Hi Cathy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Can you prepare this recipe in advance and bake it later?
Thanks!
Hi Marilyn,
Sure, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
My niece and I both made this recipe and we both plan on making this dish again with some adjustments. We want more spinach and artichokes and less orzo. We both agreed the dish was oily, maybe because of the the amount of olive oil, the basil pesto, and the artichokes with the marinade. I’m sure we will figure it out. BTW, I’ll keep making more of your recipes.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it wasn’t a fave! Let me know if you give it another try with your adjustments:) xx
This sounds amazing! If I wanted to add chicken to the dish and keep it as a one pan recipe, how would you adjust time/temp?
Hi Rebecca,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe adding raw chicken to the dish, so I am not sure what exact adjustments would need to be made. You could use pre-cooked chicken so that nothing needs to be adjusted. I hope this helps! xx
I added a pound of cooked ground turkey to this recipe to make it a main dish. I used drained frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach. The kitchen smells wonderful while it is baking in the oven. It is a delicious recipe that I look forward to making again.
Hey Giszelle,
Happy Sunday! 😃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Hi,I was wondering if this is considered a side dish? If not could I add chicken? To make a meal for dinner?
Hi Gina,
Totally up to you! You could serve as a side dish with some chicken or you could serve as a main meal with a side salad and crusty bread. Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Tieghan, you really shined on this one! I love these kind of recipes that goes along side any meat (I served salmon) with so many luscious ingredients and variety. This was top notch. Next time I make it I will do chicken broth (for even more flavor) and I need to increase the liquid (I’m sure it was my orzo that needed more liquid). I’m doing your brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert right now!
Hi Kim,
Happy Sunday! 😃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks so much for your kind message! xx
Very easy and delicious! Followed the baking directions exactly as written and turned great. The only I thing I added extra were some sun dried tomatoes when I added the cheeses. I made mine in our toaster oven.
Hi Katie,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
This was such a hit!! I made it exactly how the recipe was written out and me and my husband loved it!! We are definitely going to make it again!
Hey Chelsea,
Happy Sunday! 😃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
This is a great recipe! I used the Tomato Garlic Calibrean Chili Spread from Good and Gather and it was so good! It added a flavorful kick. I didn’t have fontina so I substituted smoked gouda. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi Susan,
Love it! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xx
I had to cover with foil to get the orzo to cook without the water just boiling off. Tasted great though!
Hi Erin,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Made this. Easy recipe but the flavors were off. Didn’t like it very much…
Hi Leslie,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you didn’t like it. Please let me know if there is something that I can help with! xx
I wish you have the amount of orzo in cups.
Also that you included the artichoke water
Hi Ashley,
I didn’t measure the orzo in cups, but it’s a standard size 1 pound box. If you needed to drain the artichokes I would have noted “drain”. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This is delicious! I halved the recipe (3 servings) in an 8″ baking dish, and kept all the baking times the same. The pasta, cheese, and fresh basil made it amazing!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! xx