This lemon orzo makes such a great weeknight dinner! The recipe is incredibly easy, packed with flavor, super comforting, and it comes together in less than 15 minutes!
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is actually a spin-off of my popular lemon spaghetti. I’ve made this easy pasta dish so many times and it has more than 350,000 shares on social media. It’s super creamy and it has the perfect lemon flavor.
This time I used orzo instead of spaghetti, which makes this recipe even faster. Orzo, also known as risoni, is a very small type of pasta that kind of looks like a large grain of rice. It has a short cooking time, which makes it perfect for this recipe.
It’s a one pot recipe that is incredibly easy! And it’s super kid- and budget-friendly as well. Our twins absolutely love it.
All you have to do is sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic in a large pot with a bit of olive oil. Then add the pasta together with the vegetable broth, canned coconut milk, lemon juice and zest. Then cook everything for about 7 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
Add a generous amount of baby spinach and stir well until the spinach has wilted. Season with red pepper flakes and enjoy!
It’s so easy to cook the pasta directly in the pasta sauce. And it gives this pasta dish a very strong and deep flavor.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Onion
- Garlic
- Vegetable Broth – I recommend organic vegetable broth or you could use my homemade paste for vegetable broth.
- Coconut Milk – use canned full-fat coconut milk.
- Orzo – also called risoni. A very small type of pasta that looks like a large grain of rice.
- Lemon – juice and zest.
- Spinach – baby spinach.
- Salt, Pepper & Red Pepper Flakes
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Use a grater to zest the lemon.
2. Step: Juice the lemon. Finely chop the onion and the garlic.
3. Step: In a large pot, heat some oil and sauté the onion and the garlic.
4. Step: Add the vegetable broth, the canned coconut milk, the lemon juice, and the orzo. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well.
5. Step: Cook on medium heat without a lid for 6-7 minutes or until the orzo is tender. Stir often so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once it’s tender, stir in the lemon zest.
6. Step: Then add the baby spinach.
7. Step: Stir well and cook for one more minute or until the spinach has wilted.
8. Step: Serve immediately and sprinkle with red pepper flakes if you like.
Recipe Notes
- In the original recipe, I used spaghetti. The cooking time when using orzo is much shorter. You could also use other shapes of pasta like rotini or ditalini. However, you have to adjust the cooking time a bit and cook them longer than orzo.
- For a lighter version, you could replace the full-fat coconut milk with a light version. Don’t worry about the coconut flavor. It will taste super light and creamy and it will go very well with the lemon flavor.
- Make sure to stir the pasta very often while it’s cooking to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- For extra protein, you could sprinkle the lemon orzo with roasted chickpeas before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does The Lemon Orzo Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last 3-4 days.
Can I Freeze It?
No, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it as the orzo becomes rather soft and a bit mushy after being thawed.
Can I Make It Gluten-Free?
Yes, you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the orzo with gluten-free pasta.
Related Recipes
- Lemon Pasta
- Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- Greek Baked Orzo
- Vegan Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Spinach
- Creamy Gnocchi with Spinach and Tomatoes
- Orzo Pasta Salad
I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this lemon orzo as much as we do around here.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
You like my recipes and want to see more? Then follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Sina
Lemon Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 9 oz orzo
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Use a grater to zest the lemon.
- Juice the lemon. Finely chop the onion and the garlic.
- In a large pot, heat some oil and sauté the onion and the garlic.
- Add the vegetable broth, the canned coconut milk, the lemon juice, and the orzo. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Cook on medium heat without a lid for 6-7 minutes or until the orzo is tender. Stir often so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Once it's tender stir in the lemon zest.
- Then add the baby spinach.
- Stir well and cook for one more minute or until the spinach has wilted.
- Serve immediately and sprinkle with red pepper flakes if you like.
Notes
- In the original recipe, I used spaghetti. The cooking time when using orzo is much shorter. You could also use other shapes of pasta like rotini or ditalini. However, you have to adjust the cooking time a bit and cook them longer than orzo.
- For a lighter version, you could replace the full-fat coconut milk with a light version. Don't worry about the coconut flavor. It will taste super delicious and creamy and it will go very well with the lemon flavor.
- Make sure to stir the pasta very often while it's cooking to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- For extra protein, you could sprinkle the lemon orzo with roasted chickpeas before serving.
Leave a Reply