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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.
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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.
Ingredients
- Zucchini or yellow summer squash
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic, chopped
- Shallot
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Fresh corn
- Chili flakes
- Dry orzo pasta
- Basil pesto
- Havarti or mozzarella cheese
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Fresh basil
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
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!
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.
I say this with almost every HBH recipe, but I can see this one being a weekly go-to! I added a ton of chopped broccoli for extra veggies and it still came out well. Will definitely make it again!
Hey Sara,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! Hope you’re off to a great weekend:)
I love, love these simple, quick recipes that will feed a family. And I have more zucchini than I know what to do with right now.;)
Thank you!
Thanks so much Kristen!! I hope your family loves this one:) xTieghan
Do you cook the corn first before adding it to casserole? Recipe not clear.
Hi April,
The corn is not cooked before adding, the recipe would state that if so:) Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
The combo of sweet summer corn and orzo was excellent! Thanks! I was afraid the pesto would be overpowering but it wasn’t at all.
Hi Leslie,
Amazing!! I am thrilled that this dish was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! Hope you’re having a great day! xTieghan
What do you think about adding chicken to this recipe? I was just thinking it might be nice to add a protein of sorts to this meal! Thanks for input!
Hey Julia,
Sure, that would work well for you! I would add cooked chicken after step 2:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
I got two of your zucchini and corn pasta recipes confused when shopping and bought ricotta (instead of Fontina/Gouda)for one them, but started making this one. So, I just stirred in some ricotta into this one when just before topping with the cheese and finished the baking. Super yummy.
Hey Annette,
Lol oops! Glad you were able to use what you had on hand and it still worked:) Thanks for making the recipe! xTieghan
As much as I did not want to turn my oven on (California warm weather), I wanted to use all the fresh herbs and vegetables in my garden. I’m so glad I did! This was so easy, just the recipe I needed, after a day of work, and quick! We love how “light” and healthy this meal was…Although, some chicken sausage would be great to toss in for some protein. But, the fresh vegetables were so good! I added chopped tomatoes, again, from the garden, on top! Please, keep the one pan meals coming, “T”!!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making this recipe:) I am so glad you were able to use all of the fresh ingredients that you had on hand! xTieghan
I just made this for dinner. It is sooo good! Even my pesto”hating” husband loves the meal!
Thank you for all of the inspiration!
I forgot pesto!! Do you think it would still be good with idk a marinara sauce?!
Hi Rachel,
The flavors will obviously be different, but yes it will work:) Let me know how the recipe turns out! xTieghan
Hey Anna,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xxT
Oohhh, THISSS. I’ve been making baked pasta with pesto for, like, a really long time, but THIS is the BEST pesto pasta bake I’ve ever eaten. Add the cook-it-in-the-pan easy thing. Just incredible. I made it with Delallo whole wheat orzo, so I needed to add a little more water and a few minutes more cooking time, and my fam and I just guzzled it. Plus you gave me something to do with the basil -is-overgrowing situation we had going on in the garden, before it all went to seed while local tomatoes are JUST getting started , so, a win on all fronts! Thanks for this!! Gonna make your Spring Roll Chicken Bowl recipe next. You rock!!
Hey Toni,
LOL thank you so much for your kind message and making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Hope you’re having a great day! xTieghan
Simply delicious! The perfect summer side, sooo flavorful!
Hi Shaina,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xx
I made this last night and it was so easy and delicious. I did substitute chicken broth for the water and I added a can of tomatoes (I used Mutti cherry tomatoes) to give it an extra bit of flavor! The leftovers are just as good if not better! Great recipe Tieghan!
I am planning on making this and adding fresh cherry tomatoes. Do you think that would work or would I get too much liquid?
I think that should be fine for you to do:)
Hey Trisha,
Awesome!! Thanks for your comment and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
Made this for my family today and they loved it. Thanks for the recipe and greetings from Germany :)!
Hey Anna,
Amazing!! I am thrilled that this dish was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
I added cherry tomatoes and it turned out fantastic.
Awesome!!
Hi Tieghan,
For this recipe, can you use a gluten free pasta option? If using larger noodle (rotini or penne) would you need to use more water? Thanks!
Hi Kayla,
If they are gluten free, you should be able to follow the recipe as written:) I hope you love this dish, let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi Tieghan, do you cook the corn before cutting and adding? Or cut it off the cob when the corn is raw?!
Hi Sal!
No need to cook the corn, you are just going to cut it off the cob raw:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Just made this tonight, it was perfect timing because I had fresh herbs, squash and onions from my garden! It was so delicious and made a ton. Can’t recommend enough!
Hey Claire,
Thanks for your comment! I love to hear that this dish was a hit, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
Omg!! Made this tonight. So good, I wanted to eat THE ENTIRE DISH!!
Hey!!
LOL awesome!! I am thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! xTieghan