One Pan Orzo with Spinach and Feta is a great addition to your regular meal rotation. It is a delicious meatless main and also a one-pan wonder, and who doesn't love less cleanup at the end of a day?
I love making this pasta dish because the flavors (similar in taste to my quiche with spinach and feta) remind me of the Greek dish called spanakopita, which is a savory pastry made with layers of crispy phyllo dough filled with a mixture of spinach, feta cheese, onions, eggs, and various herbs and seasonings. The best part, though, is that making this is less time-consuming!
This dish is a complete meal on its own, but if you crave extra protein try my lemon chicken, or crispy salmon. And if you love lemon like me try my lemon chicken orzo or my lemony orzo with asparagus and peas.
For more pasta dishes, try my recipe for Italian Broccoli Pasta, one of my favorites, or my recipe for Marry Me Chicken Tortellini.
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Ingredients
Here is a summary of the ingredients you'll need to make this spinach, feta, orzo dish:
Ingredient Notes
- Orzo: Orzo is a type of pasta that is shaped like a grain of rice. You will find this rice-shaped pasta in the pasta aisle of your grocery store.
- Feta cheese: Feta cheese is a type of brined cheese that originated in Greece. Feta has a crumbly texture and a tangy flavor. It is typically sold in blocks and stored in a container filled with brine to preserve its freshness and flavor.
- Shallots: Shallots have a mild onion flavor with a hint of garlic. Shallots are encased in papery reddish-brown skin composed of multiple cloves, similar to garlic.
- Fresh spinach: Baby spinach is ideal in this recipe; I would not use frozen spinach.
See the recipe card below for all the ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions
- Olive oil: Substitute with extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter.
- Unsalted vegetable stock: Substitute with unsalted vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Yellow onion and garlic: Substitute with a small yellow onion and one garlic clove if you are not using shallots.
Variations
- There are several ways to vary this one-pan dish. For example, you could add lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to make a lemony orzo. Or even add some parmesan cheese to make it extra creamy.
- Cherry tomatoes or sundried tomatoes would be delicious, adding extra vegetables and color to this main dish.
- Fresh herbs such as mint, dill, or fresh basil would be great additions.
- Finish the dish by adding green onion, using the green parts only as a lovely garnish.
- Toasted pine nuts would also make a nice garnish, adding a crunchy texture to this meatless meal.
How to Make One Pan Orzo with Spinach and Feta
Step-by-step-Instructions
Easy recipes that require minimal cleanup are what I like. This recipe checks those two boxes and only takes 35 minutes to make.
Cook shallots. Heat a 3.5-quart braiser (or non-stick 12-inch skillet) over medium-high heat for one minute. Add the butter, melt, add the shallots, salt, and chili flakes. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until the shallots are soft.
Add orzo. Lower the heat and to the skillet, add the orzo and sauté, moving it around the pan to lightly toast it for 2-3 minutes.
Add broth. Add the chicken broth, stir, and increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer on low heat for 10-14 minutes, stirring occasionally until the orzo is al dente and the water is almost completely absorbed.
Add spinach. Off the heat, add the spinach and stir well to incorporate (it will wilt and cook with the residual heat from the pasta).
Add feta. Add the feta and gently stir to incorporate. Serve this one-pot meal as a hearty side dish or a meatless main. It also makes a perfect accompaniment to fish or chicken.
Secrets for Success
- As the orzo cooks in the broth, it's important to stir it often so it does not stick to the bottom of the skillet.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing.
Make Ahead
This one-pan meal can be made ahead of time, though it is best eaten right away.
Reheating
I often eat the leftovers cold, as you would eat a pasta salad. Or you can gently reheat small portions of the dish on medium power in the microwave, adding a few drops of water to loosen the pasta. The advantage of heating the leftovers is that the feta melts, and the dish becomes more creamy ♥️
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use acini di pepe (a type of pasta), pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, and risoni, which is exactly like orzo but is called risoni in some parts of the world.
Yes, arugula or Swiss chard can be substituted for spinach.
Yes, you can add protein to the dish. If adding chicken, I would cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, sauté with the shallots, and proceed with the recipe. If using shrimp, I would add them at the halfway cooking mark of the orzo.
Stirring often will prevent the orzo from sticking when you first add the orzo to the pan of hot liquid.
Recipe
One Pan Orzo with Spinach and Feta
Equipment
- 3.5-quart braiser
- wooden spoon/spatula
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¾ cup shallots, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 cup orzo
- 2½ cups unsalted chicken broth
- 6 ounces/6 cups loosely packed baby spinach, coarsely chopped
- 3 ounces/¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Cook shallots. Heat a 3.5-quart braiser (or non-stick 12-inch skillet) over medium-high heat for one minute. Add the butter, melt, add the shallots, salt, and chili flakes. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until the shallots are soft.¼ cup salted butter, ¾ cup shallots, ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Add orzo. Lower the heat and to the skillet, add the orzo and sauté, moving it around the pan to lightly toast it for 2-3 minutes.1 cup orzo
- Add broth. Add the chicken broth, stir, and increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer on low heat for 10-14 minutes, stirring occasionally until the orzo is al dente and the water is almost completely absorbed.2½ cups unsalted chicken broth
- Add spinach. Off the heat, add the spinach and stir well to incorporate (it will wilt and cook with the residual heat from the pasta).6 ounces/6 cups loosely packed baby spinach
- Add feta. Add the feta and gently stir to incorporate. Serve this one-pot meal as a hearty side dish or a meatless main. It also makes a perfect accompaniment to fish or chicken.3 ounces/¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
Jan Hollander says
I cut this recipe in half and added peas to cook for one person and a little left over. It was super easy and totally delicious and it went perfect as a side to a salmon Fillet! I love Orzo for pasta salads and this was great hot or cold.
Donna Poirier says
Hi Jan, I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe, and I agreed, what a perfect side to a nice piece of salmon 🙂
Sam says
This came out so good! I paired it with sausage. I had to google what ounces of spinach and feta are in cups (prefer recipes in cups than to ounces). It said 1/2 cup for feta. I ended up using about a whole cup and think it came out delicious. This is a great recipe to use up that spinach that’s sitting in the back of your fridge.
Donna Poirier says
Hi Sam thanks for giving this recipe a shot. I love that you paired sausage with dish! I will update the recipe to reflect cups. 6 ounces spinach is roughly 6 cups loosely packed spinach, and 3 ounces feta is roughly 3/4 cups. Thank you for the feedback 😊
wxdad says
Excellent dish paired with seared salmon! Yes, it did take a bit longer for the broth to reduce. We also placed the feta to the side to allow each person to divvy out the amount to their liking. Thanks for posting!
Donna Poirier says
Hi! Yum, seared salmon-love that! Thanks for giving this recipe a shot, I appreciate your input 🙂
Christine Elmquist says
This recipe is easy to make and is delicious. I added it to my rotation.
Donna Poirier says
I’m thrilled to have made it into your meal rotation, thank you ☺️
Festivus says
Way too much broth for the orzo to cook in 10-14 minutes.
Donna Poirier says
Thanks for your feedback. Orzo can definitely be a little surprising—it acts like pasta but also absorbs liquid like rice when cooked this way. In this recipe, it’s meant to soak up the broth completely (as tested several times) almost like a creamy risotto. That said, if someone prefers it a little firmer or less saucy, reducing the broth slightly is an easy adjustment. Let me know if that works.
Tammy says
Excellent. I added pine nuts.
Donna Poirier says
Hi Tammy, I love pine nuts, and that’s a wonderful addition-thanks for sharing.
Linda B Cornell says
Me too. Toasted pine nuts are always a favorite here. Delicious. I also added a few Kalamata olives (sliced in half) because we like them so much. Will make this again (and might add a few more chili flakes.)
Donna Poirier says
Hi! Kalamata olives with feta cheese is a great mediterranean combination-I need to try this! Thanks for sharing Linda 🙂
Lou says
I was looking for a side dish with spinach and feta since we can never finish a package of spinach and only use 1/2 container of feta. I made this as written and found it a little bland. However, I warmed it up the next day with the addition of roast chicken I had on hand, some Mrs Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning, and some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Much improved!
Donna Poirier says
Hi Lou, thank you for your feedback, though I’m sorry you found the recipe bland. What I great idea to serve it with roast chicken, yum!
Lulu says
So delicious! I added sun dried tomatoes. Chef's kiss!
Donna Poirier says
Yay Lulu, I’m so happy you enjoyed this. For the record, I love sun-dried tomatoes too! Great addition 🙂
Marie Sander says
Delicious!!! My son said we needed a protein so had seasoned kidney beans on the side. I should have done the spinach chopping ahead of time but I'll do that next time. Feta added a lot of flavor. Adding this to our "favorites".
Donna Poirier says
That’s great to hear Marie, thanks for letting me know 🙂
Lama says
Delicious! Thank you 😊
Donna Poirier says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this dish.
Julie says
Perfect salad, so yummy! Loved it as a main or a side. This evening I paired it with your lemon & Dijon Mustard Marinated Chicken. The best combo! Thank you !!
Donna Poirier says
Thank you Julie.