Cheesy Baked Orzo With Marinara

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Cheesy Baked Orzo With Marinara

Orzo Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan
A vegetarian weeknight pasta that’s as comforting as it is easy, this dish will win over adults and kids alike . While fresh mozzarella can become tough and chewy when baked, shredded low-moisture mozzarella melts beautifully. Serve this with a simple, lemony arugula salad or a Caesar salad for ultimate weeknight comfort.

Provided by Lidey Heuck

Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup orzo
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 jar marinara sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus torn or sliced basil for serving
1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain the orzo and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, in a very large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant , about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the marinara, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.
  • Stir the cooked orzo into the sauce. Stir in the mozzarella, sprinkle the Parmesan on top, and bake, uncovered, until the Parmesan is melted and the pasta is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional basil, and serve warm.

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CHEESY BAKED ORZO – SIMPLY HOME COOKED

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  • Cook the orzo according to the package, making sure to salt the pasta water. Once cooked, drain the water out.
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How Do You Make Cheesy Garlic Orzo

First, start off by melting 2 tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook it for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the fresh garlic and cook for 15-20 seconds. Add the orzo pasta and cook it for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. You want to get it nice and toasty. Season with salt and pepper, add the chicken stock and milk and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, stir in the mozzarella cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, remaining butter, and enjoy!

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Simmer Your Way To Cheesy Glory

You’re so close to digging into this one-pot orzo! There’s just one last step, and it’s one of the most important ones, at least if you’re as dedicated to the love of cheese as many of us are.

After your tomatoes and orzo have been simmering for 20 minutes, uncover the pot and sprinkle on all that shredded mozzarella cheese. Then, put the lid back on and keep cooking for about five more minutes. This way, the cheese gets ooey, gooey, and perfectly melty in a single layer on top of the pasta. Who doesn’t love melted cheese?

Cheesy Tomato Basil Baked Orzo

Cheesy Baked Orzo With Marinara Recipe

This cheesy tomato basil baked orzo is a comforting, cozy side dish that is super versatile and delicious. All the delicious flavors of tomato and basil with tender orzo and lots of parmesan.

Hello orzo lovers!

Today were making cheesy tomato basil orzo, which is warm and comforting but also touched with the flavors of summer. Its the biggest hit and you wont be able to stop digging in with a spoon!

This is the side dish to end all side dishes for me! Well, okay at least a baked one.

Remember my parmesan orzo? Ooooh yes its a good one. And you make it all on the stovetop.

This is not that. This one is super cheesy, tomato-y and baked until creamy and melty and gooey and perfect. Its more filling than my parmesan orzo but not quite as versatile.

I mean, okay, its delicious and maybe that means its versatile because lets be real: its eat-it-every-day-good. But since its tomato basil-ish, it goes with less. You know? Its just not a blank slate, and I love that about it.

I realize that this could be a wintery comfort food side dish. But its also very much warm-weatherish, aside from that whole having to turn on the oven thing. So go ahead and make this a few times over the next couple weeks before it hits 90! The tomato basil flavor is so special and delish.

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How To Make Cheesy Baked Orzo

To make these cheesy side dish, you just need to follow a few very easy steps. My complete baked orzo recipe is at the bottom in the printable card.

All you do is create a creamy, cheese sauce, then add it to the cooked orzo and bake it all together. Its so simple and it comes out tasting rich and delicious!

Cheesy Baked Summer Orzo With Marinara

Its not a hard sell here: marinara sauce, cheese, basil, orzo, and perfectly roasted, tender vegetables.

The key here is chopping the vegetables very small so they all roast quickly, evenly, and every pillowy bite of orzo has a little veggie in it. No more crunchy, big vegetables that turn off our little eaters the vegetables flavor and enhance this dish in many ways.

You can customize this dish in the winter by using winter veggies like cauliflower or Brussels sprouts, too, and skipping the basil and instead using some grated Parmesan cheese or some sage.

If you wanted to keep this closer to a one pot dish, then just saute the vegetables in the same pot you assemble the orzo, sauce, and cheese and skip the roasting process. I love roasting vegetables, because its hands-free, but thats just me.

Also, this does go fabulously with some pesto on top! And crusty bread on the side for dipping. But do you!

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Heres How I Make It Its So Incredibly Easy

  • I toast my orzo in some butter, just like I do with the parmesan orzo. This is key because it adds so much depth of flavor. So toasty and delicious! Garlic too.
  • I add in marinara sauce and chicken stock, then I bake it.
  • After that, I stir it a bit, add a little more stock, a lot of cheese and finish the bake for another ten minutes or so.
  • Toppings include lots of parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil. Its a dream!

Seriously, I cannot get over how good this is. I know Im really having a moment with orzo this year and orzo-ing all the things. Dont pass this one up! Its so creamy and cheesy and flavorful.

If youre looking for dinner ideas to serve with this, I suggest my grilled chicken parmesan, chicken romano meatballs or even serving it as a main dish with the howsweeteats house salad! I could easily enjoy a bowl of this for dinner, and I love it paired with a big greens salad. One of the perfect meals in my opinion.

Just look at that stretchy melty cheese!

I love sharing staples like this, the meals that we enjoy so much. Even better when everyone is on board and adores them too. This one is a keeper!

Vegetarian Casseroles To Keep You Toasty

Cheesy Orzo Risotto Recipe

Here are several great excuses to bake something comforting: Lidey Heuck’s cheesy orzo with marinara is perfect with a lemony salad Ali Slagle’s spanakopita pasta harnesses the power of gooey mozzarella, briny feta and spinach and Aaron Hutcherson’s white bean and fennel casserole has a crunchy-citrusy panko topping to balance its satisfying creaminess. Have you only ever tried sweet bread puddings? Make Melissa Clark’s savory recipe, with artichokes, Cheddar and scallions. Find those recipes and other warming options in this collection.

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Baked Tomato & Mozzarella Orzo

Combine red peppers, tomato, orzo and olives in a casserole dish to make this easy vegetarian one pot. The bubbling mozzarella topping is particularly special

Provided by Sophie Godwin – Cookery writer

2 roasted red peppers from a jar, roughly chopped
handful olives , roughly chopped
big pinch chilli flakes
½ tsp dried oregano
400g can chopped tomatoes with garlic
125g ball mozzarella

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the orzo into a medium casserole dish, then stir in the oil, red peppers, olives, chilli flakes and dried oregano. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, then refill the can halfway with water and pour that in too. Give everything a good mix, season, then cover and bake for 20 mins until the pasta is almost cooked. Take it out of the oven and give the orzo a stir. Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.
  • Heat the grill to high. Take the orzo out of the oven and tear the mozzarella over the top, then grill until melted and bubbling. Serve with salad on the side, if you like.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 392 calories, Fat 18 grams fat, SaturatedFat 9 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 31 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 8 grams sugar, Fiber 5 grams fiber, Protein 25 grams protein, Sodium 1 milligram of sodium

Baked Orzo With Fontina And Peas

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Time 55m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking dish
1 onion, chopped
4 ounces shredded fontina cheese
4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
  • Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  • In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

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How To Make Our Quick And Easy Orzo Pasta

If youre wondering, What is orzo pasta? then lets get that out of the way first. Orzo is a small flat oval-shaped pasta that takes very little time to cook. We love it and have already shared our Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with you. This time, were sharing a fast and easy way to get a delicious dinner on the table.

Since it is pasta, orzo does have gluten, but you can substitute it with your favorite gluten-free pasta, rice, or zucchini noodles if you are gluten-free. For our tips on making zucchini noodles, please look at our Guilt-Free Zucchini Pasta.

Orzo is easy to cook. Its just like cooking other pasta. Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil, add the orzo and cook until done, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Since the size of the pasta can vary from brand to brand, check the package to see the recommended cook time for the pasta you purchased.

Once your pasta is cooking, you can get the rest of the ingredients ready. Theres a hefty amount of garlic, tomatoes, basil, and parmesan. The ingredients are simple, but tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and garlic are magical together.

More: For an even simpler pasta recipe, take a look at our favorite way to make buttered noodles.

If you have access to them, use fresh ripe tomatoes. If you dont have any, dont worry, canned tomatoes work nicely. Its the tomatoes that are the star. They release some of their flavorful juices as they heat up in the pan. Its this thats the start to our sauce.

Add The Other Ingredients

One

After your garlic is smelling good, add your other ingredients to the skillet. These are: 1 cup of water, 1 cup of dry orzo, a teaspoon of dried oregano, and 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes. When it comes to ease of use, try your best to buy the crushed stuff. “I’d recommend canned crushed tomatoes, but you could use canned whole tomatoes and crush them by hand,” Carli says.

Give everything a good stir, then bring it to a simmer. That means that the mix will be actively bubbling, but in a gentler way compared to if you were boiling something.

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Gather Your Cheesy Orzo Bake Ingredients

Before you cook anything, get your ingredients and your mise en place together. This cheesy orzo bake is super simple, and only requires a few ingredients, most of which are pantry staples you might already have at home. Specifically, you’ll need 1 cup of dried orzo, a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese , 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 cup of water. Yes, you read that ingredient list correctly: the only seasoning you’ll need is 1 teaspoon of dried oregano!

If you’re mincing fresh garlic, Carli says that you should use about 3 cloves to make up a full tablespoon.

Let Your Garlic Get Fragrant

We’ve all had that moment where someone says how good the meal you’re cooking smells, even though you’ve just started cooking and the only thing you’ve done so far is briefly saute some garlic in oil. That is, of course, the magic of garlic.

This orzo has a similar beginning to all those other mouthwatering meals. First, heat some olive oil in a large skillet, then add your minced garlic. Let it cook until it gets fragrant about one minute and let that lovely garlicky scent wash over you. Are you hungry yet?

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Baked Orzo And Parmesan Cheese

Make and share this Baked Orzo and Parmesan Cheese recipe from Food.com.

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
6 green onions, sliced
2 1/4 cups chicken broth or 2 1/4 cups water
salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Steps:

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add in the green onions and garlic saute/stir for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.
  • Add in the orzo stir constantly/cook 1 minute longer.
  • Add in broth, salt and pepper to taste bring to a boil.
  • Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish that has been lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Add in Parmesan and parsley stir.
  • Bake, covered, in a 350° oven for 35-40 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Cheesy Baked Rigatoni With Italian Sausage

Cheesy Tomato Orzo

Cheesy baked rigatoni with italian sausage, burst cherry tomatoes, spinach, garlicky marinara sauce, and LOTS of mozzarella. Its baked until golden & bubbling, then topped with fresh herbs and parmesan. One of my favorite easy dinners for any night of the week, and it has lots of family history to it! Excited to be sharing it with all of you so you can have a little nostalgic, italian comfort food right in your own homes.

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Cheesy Baked Rigatoni The Story

This cheesy baked rigatoni has a very special story. Its a recipe I developed for my familys Chicago pizza concept, Nancys Pizzeria. Nancys has been around for years. The first one opened in 1971 when Rocco Palese invented the Chicago stuffed pizza. My dad and Rocco became close friends and eventually started working together. My dad then grew the company over the years and opened many Nancys around the Chicago area. Fast forward to today and weve got our whole family in the pizza business!

While Nancys pizza recipes have always remained the same, we set out to update some of the other menu items everything from new salads to some fun apps and a few decadent pastas. One of them being this cheesy baked rigatoni!

The menu item at Nancys used to be just a regular, classic baked mostaccioli. And while it was delicious, I wanted to add just a little bit more flavor and some hearty additions. This pasta turned into one that you could eat as a complete, main meal.

Its one of my absolute favorites from the menu and one I make for myself all the time at home. So excited to be sharing it here on the blog so you can bring a little bit of our family history into your own homes!

And trust me, theres nothing not to love about this *very* cheesy pasta. Rigatoni pasta tossed with a simple garlicky marinara sauce, sliced italian sausage, burst cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, and parmesan cheese.

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