This one pot ground beef orzo recipe is a busy weeknight dinner winner because it is a seriously easy meal and is so delicious! The main ingredients, beef and pasta are bathed in a silky tomato sauce, seasoned with Italian and graced with the goodness of pesto. The whole family will love this cheesy orzo dish.
Why you’ll love this Ground Beef Orzo Recipe:
It is such a comfort food, and is made in a single pot, who doesn’t love that? One pot recipes are my best friend. When I signed up to be a mom I didn’t realize 75% of the job was making sure there’s something to eat 10 times a day. This is also a great recipe to make for your tween who is starting to cook. My 9-year-old is starting to help more with cooking and this Ground Beef Orzo recipe is simple enough that she could make it mostly herself.
What you will need:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 cup water
- 1 can tomato sauce (14 oz)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup pesto (substitute in notes)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3 cups spinach, chopped
- 1 tsp Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated gives a smoother texture)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil (optional)
How to make it:
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef over medium high heat.
- After a few minutes, add the chopped onions and minced garlic cloves. Stir and let cook for another few minutes.
- Add the orzo, Italian seasoning, a teaspoon salt and a few dashes of black pepper.
- Add in 1 cup water, and a can of tomato sauce. Turn the heat back to medium heat and let that simmer (not boil) for 10 minutes but stir it often (the orzo will stick to the bottom of the pot). The cooking time will vary, you will have to taste test the orzo
- At any time the orzo is cooking and it needs more liquid, add more water. I needed about half a cup more than I wrote in the recipe but the cooking time for the orzo varies so you will need to go by checking the orzo texture.
- When the pasta is al dente (slightly undercooked) and most of the liquid is gone, add in the chopped spinach, pesto and the heavy cream.
- Stir spinach in and give it a minute to cook.
- Next, turn the heat off and add the parmesan cheese. Stir it in well.
- Scoop into serving dishes and top with red pepper flakes or fresh chopped basil.
Substitutions:
- If you want to use a leaner meat in place of ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey would be perfect replacements. Add olive oil when you add the onion and garlic, because those replacements will need some added oil.
- Using whole wheat orzo would also be a good way to add more nutrition to it.
- You can replace the tomato sauce with half a cup of tomato paste but increase the cups of water to 2. I switch those two out a lot, depending which one I have on hand.
Leftovers and Storage:
This Ground Beef Orzo recipe will keep in fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When you are ready to reheat, I recommend heating it in a pot over the stove. It will be pretty dry and crumbly, just add water or milk and stir it well, it will come together almost just as smooth and creamy as it was fresh.
What to serve with this Ground Beef Orzo recipe:
This recipe is pretty rich, so pairing it with a vegetable side is a great way to balance it out. Here are some suggestions:
- steamed vegetables
- roasted broccoli
- fresh salad greens
And if you want to just add more sides to it to serve more mouths, garlic bread is a classic choice for that.
Ground Beef Orzo with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 cup water
- 1 can tomato sauce 14 oz
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup pesto substitute in notes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3 cups spinach chopped
- 1 tsp Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated gives a smoother texture
- Red pepper flakes optional
- Fresh basil optional
Instructions
How to make it:
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef over medium high heat.
- After a few minutes, add the chopped onions and minced garlic cloves. Stir and let cook for another few minutes.
- Add the orzo, Italian seasoning, a teaspoon salt and a few dashes of black pepper.
- Add in 1 cup water, and a can of tomato sauce. Turn the heat back to medium heat and let that simmer (not boil) for 10 minutes but stir it often (the orzo will stick to the bottom of the pot). The cooking time will vary, you will have to taste test the orzo
- At any time the orzo is cooking and it needs more liquid, add more water. I needed about half a cup more than I wrote in the recipe but the cooking time for the orzo varies so you will need to go by checking the orzo texture.
- When the pasta is al dente (slightly undercooked) and most of the liquid is gone, add in the chopped spinach, pesto and the heavy cream.
- Stir spinach in and give it a minute to cook.
- Next, turn the heat off and add the parmesan cheese. Stir it in well.
- Scoop into serving dishes and top with red pepper flakes or fresh chopped basil.
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