Creamy Spinach Orzo (Print Version)

Tender orzo cooked with creamy sauce, fresh spinach, and Parmesan for a comforting Italian-inspired meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Dairy

01 - 1 cup orzo pasta
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
08 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened

→ Vegetables

10 - 4 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
11 - Salt to taste
12 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
13 - Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

14 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
15 - Freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
02 - Add orzo to the skillet and toast lightly, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
03 - Pour in vegetable broth and milk, stir to combine. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer and reduce heat to medium-low.
04 - Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until orzo is tender but firm to the bite and most liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes.
05 - Stir in softened cream cheese and Parmesan until fully melted and sauce becomes creamy.
06 - Add chopped spinach and cook until just wilted, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and optional nutmeg.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy eating.
  • The cream cheese melts silently into the broth, creating this luxuriously silky sauce that tastes way more indulgent than the five ingredients that make it.
  • You can have dinner on the table in thirty minutes, which somehow feels like cheating given how satisfying it tastes.
02 -
  • Stir frequently while the liquid is simmering or the orzo will stick stubbornly to the bottom and scorch, which ruins the whole delicate flavor.
  • The cream cheese needs to be softened or it'll clump instead of melting smoothly—pull it out of the fridge while you're cooking the orzo and it'll be ready by the time you need it.
03 -
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan if you possibly can—the pre-grated kind has anti-caking agents that make the sauce grainy and disappointing.
  • If your sauce seems too thick at the end, loosen it with a splash of broth or milk rather than panicking and adding a lot at once.
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