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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.
Super delicious and easy. I only had frozen corn and it still tasted great. I thought it was going to taste oily from the pesto but it came out great. Definitely be making again. Hubby and my 21 month old devoured it too so that’s a big win.
Hi Candace,
Happy Wednesday!? Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a tasty one! xxT
The zucchini was already in the oven for the first step when I realized I didn’t have corn (I was going to use frozen), so I just threw in some cherry tomatoes and went with it. This was a hit! Even with my family that doesn’t like zucchini, despite the fact that I plant some every year. My only complaint about this recipe is that it requires the oven, and it’s 100 degrees out most of the time when my garden is producing a lot of zucchini, but I’ll just crank up the A/C because this is delicious! I added Italian sausage to the pan to make a complete meal. I can’t wait to make it again with corn!
Hey Ana,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I’m glad the cherry tomatoes worked in place of the corn! Thanks for sharing your feedback! xTieghan
This is really good. Really tasty! I made it tonight for dinner. You can have it either as a meatless dish (which I did tonight) or goes well with either chicken or fish. I definitely have leftovers for lunches throughout this week which pleases me alot!
Hey Mel!
Thanks for your comment! So glad to hear that this dish was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! ?xTieghan
This is AMAZING! Almost reminded me of a lasagna but lighter and perfect for summer. It is also so easy to throw together! Will definitely make many more times!
Love it! Great summer dish!
Thanks so much Sarah, glad it was enjoyed!!
Hey Sam,
Happy Tuesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad it was enjoyed! xx
This recipe turned out amazing. The only thing I changed was the cheeses. I did a medley of crumbed goat cheese, shredded gruyere and cheddar. 10/10 recommend.
Hey Kim,
Wonderful! Thanks for making this recipe and sharing what worked well for you:) So glad it was enjoyed! xx
This recipe was so simple and SO delicious!!!
Hey Ashleigh,
Thanks for your comment! So glad to hear that this dish was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! ?xTieghan
I made this for my whole family when we were all together this summer. It was a huge hit! There was not a speck of food left in the dish! I had to improvise a bit since I was cooking from my aunt’s kitchen, but it was still yummy. I am making it again tonight and following the recipe more closely. Thanks for sharing this!
Hey Rhonda,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed by your family, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I ended up making this with a wild rice mix because I didn’t have orzo or pesto. Took a little longer to cook (which is normal since I didn’t follow exact recipe), but it still tasted amazing. Also great for lunches leftovers. Will make again!
Hey Vivianne,
Thanks for your comment! So glad to hear that this dish was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! ?xTieghan
This was SO GOOD. Like a veggie lasagna but even lighter. I can’t stop eating it and am so happy about leftovers! ? Five freaking stars.
Hi Christine,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Hope you’re having a great Monday! xTieghan
LOVE! Perfect for summer. We did not precook the corn, worked out well in this dish! We ended up using half the amount of orzo and water and worked perfectly. Interested to try chicken or vegetable broth instead of water next time to add even more flavor.
Hi Elyse,
Amazing! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed:) Happy Monday! xx
Can this be made early in the day, refrigerated and then reheated in the oven at dinner time? If so how do you recommend doing it?
Hi Cath,
Sure, I would follow the recipe as written and then cover with foil when you are ready to reheat. I hope you love this dish! xTieghan
This recipe is amazing!! I usually make dinners and then pack a portion for my husband to take for lunch the next day, and this recipe worked very well for that. I subbed gouda for the mozzarella cheese and butternut squash for the zucchini and it was amazing! I did add about 5 minutes to the first roast to make sure the butternut squash was cooked through.
Hi Rachel,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
Hi. Silly question. Do you cook the corn before using it in this recipe?
Thank you!
I was wondering the same thing as I’m making this tonight! I don’t think I’ll cook the corn and just add when putting in the oven.
Yup, no need to cook the corn:)
I had to scroll down in comments to figure this out too!
Hi Karen,
Nope, the corn will cook in the dish:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I made this amazing dish last night for dinner! The recipe was easy to follow and I was hoping it would be as delicious as it smelled. My whole family loved it, even my 4 year old granddaughter! Thank you for this recipe. It made so much sense to bake it in steps!
Hey Gayleen,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out!! xTieghan
Made this tonight. So delicious, it will be going on the rotation. Thanks! 🙂
Hey Jana,
Happy Wednesday!? Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a tasty one! xxT
I just made this for dinner and it was amazing!! My husband, two year old and 8 month old all devoured it!
I used shell pasta as I had run out of orzo and my frozen homemade pesto from the previous year it was so good.
Also added chicken thighs to make it a full meal, cooked them in the casserole dish first and added them with the corn.
I will definitely make it again!
Hi Brianna,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing what worked well for you, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan