Next Post
Chocolate Chip Nutella Oatmeal Cookies.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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!
Could one omit the 3T of olive oil called for in the recipe, to lessen the excess oil in the finished product?
Hi Jeanne,
You could try, I just wouldn’t want it to dry out. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Can you prep this ahead of time in the fridge or do you think the orzo will absorb the water?
Hi Jen,
I think this would be fine for a couple hours, but I wouldn’t leave it any longer than that:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
I made this a few days ago and have already bought ingredients to make it again! Very easy and tasty. Like others, I added shredded chicken. So good!
Hi Laura,
Happy Sunday!😃 Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed:) xT
Do you include the liquid from Artichoke jars?
Hey Marie,
Yes, for this recipe I did:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
made this last night will go on to make many more times it was awesome
Hi Marianne,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! Have a great weekend! xT
If I wanted to add chicken, would you recommend doing whole chicken breasts or shredded rotisserie at the end?
Hi Kendall,
I think shredded rotisserie chicken would be great! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I needed to additional water to cook the orzo. Nevertheless, this was fantastic! It’s definitely going in the regular rotation. Also, I cooked a lemon pepper chicken breast on the side for my growing boys.
Hey Dee,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it was a hit! xx
So easy and so good! I forgot to add the spinach before the first bake, it wilted as it stirred into the hot orzo. I had some crispy prosciutto left over from last night that I sprinkled on top with the fresh basil — the end result was delicious.
Hi Danielle,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! Have a great weekend! xT
Oh so delicious yet so easy! Someone just turned me on to HBH and this was the first dish I made. What a treat! I added shredded rotisserie chicken. My family devoured and raved! Thank you so much!
Hey Lara,
Happy Friday!! ☘️🌈 So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
could you substitute arborio rice for the orzo? totally forgot to pick up orzo!!
Hey Emily,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love it! xx
My whole family loved this recipe! It was super easy but full of great flavor.
Hi Noelle,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
I made this. Honestly, it was ok. Not my favorite HBH recipe. The grease from the artichokes was quite overwhelming. I did drain and plunge, drain and plunge the grease but because if that, made it a 3 star dish for me. I did add some shredded chicken and that was a nice addition.
Hi Yvonne,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xx
Delicious. I added chicken.
Thanks so much Gayla! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, great idea to add chicken! xx
Holy moly this recipe is delicious and SO EASY to make! I only used 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper to make it friendlier for my kids and the orzo took closer to 20 minutes to cook. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. So so good, this bake will definitely be part of our regular dinner rotation. Thank you, Tieghan!
Hey Kate,
Happy Wednesday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
I always like to make adjustments… sorry Tieghan! 🙂 I didn’t have Calabrian paste, so I used Harissa instead. I made this with twice as much spinach, adding more when I stirred it before adding the cheese so it wilted. I also added a jar of sundried tomato’s and some sliced mushrooms. I substituted the water with chicken bone broth for extra flavor and added more garlic and shallots. The fontina cheese on top was so gooey and delightful. Added a squeeze on fresh lemon on top to balance the spice and it was perfection! Would go great with some grilled chicken or another protein, but I enjoyed it on its own. Definitely a wonderful, cozy, cold night meal! I’ll have plenty for the rest of the week. May freeze some as well. Thank you for the recipe!
Hey Alison,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:) Thanks for sharing the adjustments you made!! xT
This was so good!! I added cream cheese because I forgot to get fontina and it was delicious. Also added chicken. This was such an easy dinner to make and will definitely make again.
Hi Marcia,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
This was great and so easy! I added cut up pre-cooked chicken sausage (Gilbert’s Caprese flavor) along with the rest of the ingredients for some protein. I drained the artichokes and used a bit less orzo but otherwise followed exactly. Yum!
Hey Sarah,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Great idea to use chicken sausage! xT