Creamy One Pot Pesto Orzo with Spinach (Edit recipe)

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We all love a one pot meal you guys. Minimal mess and minimal clean up, that's where it's at! I made a batch of my favourite, fresh green pesto, cooked some orzo in broth, and folded that gorgeous pesto in along with spinach for a gorgeously green skillet of deliciousness. Easy and delish! See notes section for the pesto recipe and garnishes. ENJOY!

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PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

15

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter, Unsalted
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
.5 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 whole Yellow Onion, finely diced
2 whole Shallot, diced
1 cup White Wine, I used Pinot Grigio
1.5 cup Orzo Pasta, dry
3 cup Vegetable Broth, I used Pres Choice Plant-Based Chik'n Broth
.5 whole Lemon, juice only
.66 cup Grana Padano Cheese, finely shredded
.5 cup Heavy Cream (Whipping Cream), room temperature
3 cup Baby Spinach, trimmed & chopped
1 whole Himalayan Pink Salt, To Taste
1 whole Black Peppercorns, Ground Fresh, To Taste

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Process

Cook Mode

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Prepare the pesto according to the recipe provided. Feel free to save even more time by using a jar of your favourite store-bought brand, but I'd always recommend fresh when it's the focus of the recipe. Set aside once prepared.
Begin heating the EVOO, butter, pepper flakes, and garlic, in a 12" skillet set to just below medium. Once heated, let everything sizzle together for about 30 seconds before adding the onion, shallot, and a good pinch of both salt and pepper. Cook the onion & shallot for 8 - 10 minutes until soft, watch for browning in the skillet and reduce the heat slightly if needed.
Pour in the wine and season again with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let the wine simmer away until reduced by 2/3, leaving only a small amount of saucy wine in the skillet. Add the orzo and broth and bring the skillet to a boil. Once boiled, season with 1/2 Tsp. Himalayan salt, reduce to a simmer, and let the orzo cook until tender with most of the broth having been soaked up. You're looking at anywhere between 7 and 10 minutes. Taste your orzo closer to the 6 / 7 minute mark to determine how much longer it will need. Keep an eye because over cooked orzo is not a vibe you guys. Also, you want SOME broth left behind because this will create our sauce.
Once the orzo is perfectly cooked, remove the skillet from the heat. Squeeze in the lemon and fold in the grana padano, fresh pesto, cream, and baby spinach. Stir until everything is combined and cover for a couple minutes. Remove cover and taste, adjusting salt / pepper if needed / desired.
Serve each portion garnished with grana padano, fresh basil, and fresh parsley. ENJOY!

Notes

Pesto Recipe Link - https://www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/my-perfect-pesto-recipe
GARNISH - Grana Padano, Fresh Parsley, Fresh Basil

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About This Recipe

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	558
Fat:	34 g
Carbohydrates:	84 g
Protein:	31 g
Cholesterol:	93 g
Sodium:	1253 mg
Fiber:	1 g
Sugars:	4 g
Sugar Alcohol:	0 g
Calculated per serving.