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Nothing’s better (or easier) than this One Pan Corn and Zucchini Pesto Orzo Casserole with crispy, crunchy cheddar on top. Made using healthy vegetables and herbs, this bake is so darn easy, and so darn delicious. It’s made entirely in one pan and in under an hour. Grab some orzo pasta, plenty of herbs, and all the summer zucchini and corn that you can find. Toss everything together in a baking dish, then add creamy Havarti and sharp cheddar cheese. Bake until the top is crispy and crunchy. Simple, but SO GOOD.
With the abundance of summertime zucchini, corn, and herbs, I’m doing all I can to use everything up before the season ends. I’m overwhelmed with ideas, but that’s a good thing, and very exciting! I love this time of year so much.
Before leaving for Mexico, I was trying to use up some of the herbs we had in the greenhouse. You’re going to hear me say this again and again over the next few weeks, but the amount of basil we have is unreal. So much basil, so lots of basil recipes coming soon!
I thought I would highlight the fresh zucchini and corn with this recipe. It’s the perfect all-in-one dinner and it takes no time to prepare.
The background
Do you guys remember the caprese bake I made a while back? While that dish inspired this one. I LOVED that method of cooking orzo in the same pan as everything else. Not only is it super easy, but the orzo ends up tasting even more delicious because it becomes infused with the flavors of the dish.
I wanted to take that cooking method and apply it to this recipe, just switch up the flavors and summery ingredients.
The details
The recipe starts and ends in the same baking dish.
I like to use a mix of zucchini and yellow summer squash, but you can use either/or for this dish. Give them a nice thin slice, then toss with olive oil, garlic, shallots, fresh thyme, and some Italian seasoning.
Roast the zucchini to help remove the water and get the cooking process moving along.
When the zucchini is ready, add the corn, the orzo, the basil pesto, and some chili flakes for a little heat.
Toss everything together, then pour over the water, so simple. The water cooks the pasta just as if we’d boiled it on the stove. Once the water is in, bake another 10 minutes or so. Allow the water to cook into the pasta, then stir, 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! Especially during these fun summer days.
Looking for other easy summer 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 One Pan Corn and Zucchini Pesto Orzo Casserole, 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 Corn and Zucchini Pesto Orzo Casserole
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 737 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 cups fresh corn
- chili flakes
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 1 jar (8 ounce) basil pesto
- 3/4 cup shredded Havarti or mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh basil
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the zucchini, olive oil, garlic, shallots, thyme, Italian seasoning, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Roast 15 minutes. Pull the zucchini out of the oven. To the same pan, add the corn, orzo, and pesto. 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 cheeses. 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!
Any suggestions for subbing a whole grain for the orzo? Trying to eat more grains and less pasta. This recipe sounds like it would lend itself to a variety of grains, I’m just wondering about the cook time being an issue.
Hi Lisa,
So sorry, I’ve not tested this recipe with grains so I don’t know how it would turn out! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Not a huge basil fan, so I omitted it and also used pesto rosso instead. I used feta and a Monterey Jack blend because it’s what we had on hand. THIS IS SO GOOD! We’ll definitely be having this on the regular.
Hi Alison,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:)
How do you suggest draining off excess oil? Shopping for ingredients for this one and can’t wait to try it! Just want to be prepared.
Hi Mary,
You really shouldn’t have any oil that needs to be drained. Please let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Made this tonight. Easy to put together. Probably could have cut up squash into thinner slices, but all turned out well and I actually enjoyed the slightest crunch. Probably would have used more cheese. I also substituted frozen sweet corn for fresh corn , which was a great alternative. Thought it was a lovely pasta veggie alternative to more frequently seen recipes. Have you calculated the macro nutrients per serving (calories, protein gr, carb gr, fat gr) ?? Thanks very much.
Hi Judy,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! Sorry, I only have the estimated calorie count available! xTieghan
Easy to make and quite delicious, with the fresh corn being a brilliant addition. I did, however, mix the zucchini, oil and spices in a bowl before putting them in the baking dish — easier to do it that way and to get everything well coated. I was a bit skeptical about cooking the orzo in the oven, but it got done and didn’t even stick to the pan. I have leftover pesto (needed part of a second jar to get the 8 ounces) so am going to make another of your pesto recipes with that!
Hi Helen,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for sharing your review and making it! xxT
Came out well, but I wish the recipe was more specific. For example, is it 8oz of pesto by volume or weight? Also, two tablespoons of fresh thyme seems like a lot on top of the dried seasoning and in your instagram reel it appears you only a few sprigs. I didn’t have the water volume issues others had, though. Tasted great, if a bit rich.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. If you want metric measurements simply click the “metric” button below the list of ingredients and it will automatically convert for you. 2 tablespoons of thyme is correct because it’s fresh:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Barbara, I had the same question about the amount of pesto. I realized when I got home that the kind I bought (Barilla) was 6.5 ounces in weight, not volume, so I put it in a measuring cup and it actually came out to around 6 ounces in volume, too. I had to use some of a second jar to make up the difference, so of course now I have leftover pesto from that. Bought yet a third jar yesterday so I’d have 3/4 of a cup for another pesto recipe ;-).
This was an amazing recipe! I didn’t have chilli flakes so I substituted cayenne pepper. Thank you so much for posting!
Hi Jennifer,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this dish was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xTieghan
What a delicious and simple weekday dinner! I subbed the corn with tomatoes because that’s what I had, roasted the tomatoes with the other veggies and cut the water down a bit. Turned out soooo good! Will def keep this one in the rotation for busy nights.
Hi Stephanie,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Such a great idea to use tomatoes! xTieghan
What pan is this?
Hi Danielle,
Here is the link for the dish that I used:
https://rstyle.me/+LELPuM_QpSFylsrWL0Q7Uw
Please let me know if you have any other questions!! xTieghan
I made this tonight and not only was it delicious but it was SO easy to throw together. Everyone in my family ate it and that’s saying alot!! I did use chicken stock instead of water, and make it exactly as the recipe says.
Hey Jordan,
Happy Monday! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so excited to hear that it was a hit! xx
Do you think this recipe would freeze well?
Hi Addie,
Sure, I think that would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Excellent recipe and so easy! ❤️ Love that you do not have to make the orzo ahead. I am wanting to make it again to send to family and friends for dinner. Is this something I can make a day ahead and then just wait to bake until the day of? Thanks for sharing your talents! I’ve enjoyed so many of your recipes and have purchased your cookbooks! They make excellent gifts!
Hey Jaclyn,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! Sure, you could totally make this in advance and then bake when you are ready to serve. xxT
This was good! I followed the recipe but added 5 minutes of cook time before adding the cheese. Yummy!
Hey there,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx
This was fantastic- full of flavor. I followed the instructions exactly. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Hi Barbara,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx
Just made this today! So delicious! I’m going to take it all week for my lunches at work. I saw a comment that it was too watery. I had the same issue after baking it for 15 minutes so I baked it for an extra 10 minutes before adding the cheeses and then it wasn’t watery. Yum! My picky husband also approves haha! Definitely adding this to my “make again” pile. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Tina,
Amazing! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Have a great Monday! xTieghan
Hi! A very dumb question but for the fresh corn, do you boil the corn on the cob first and then cut it off? Or do you cut it off raw?
Thanks!
Hi Emily,
You will just use the corn raw, it will cook in the dish. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I really wanted to like this! While it tasted fine, there was too much liquid. I followed the direction to a T, but The orzo was mushy and so the cheese never crisped up! Bummer!
Also needed salt!
Hi there,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if I can help in any way! xx