One-Pan Baked Orzo Pasta

This One-Pan Baked Orzo Pasta is a must make dish. It’s made with just 5 ingredients and you simply add everything to the dish, bake and serve! Incredibly easy and a family favorite.

I accidentally bought orzo pasta at the store (thinking it was rice) and found myself wondering what to make with it. I had a jar of sauce, cheese and figured why not try to make something like my No-Boil Baked Pasta Recipe.

This recipe is foolproof guys and such an easy dish to try. I love make this as a side or as a vegetarian meal option. You could of course also add some cooked sausage or meat to the dish to make it a fuller meal too.

I love that this orzo pasta is great for anyone. Kids, adults, everyone loves it. It is so simple yet so flavorful too. If you are craving more flavor (or if your tomato sauce is bland) you can add more spices too. If you love spicy, add red pepper flakes or use a spicier tomato sauce. 

This dish is like a dump and bake. Add everything to a large baking dish and add right to the oven until ready. There’s basically no prep work, which I love. Because that means minimal clean up too.

I cannot wait to hear what you think of this recipe. I hope you love it.

What ingredients you need to make this orzo bake:

• Orzo pasta – I used this gluten-free one but if you aren’t gluten-free, you can use a regular orzo pasta too
• Tomato sauce – feel free to use your favorite tomato sauce for this
• Baby spinach – I prefer fresh spinach over frozen instead of the water content 
• Cottage cheese – I like adding cottage cheese over ricotta for protein and it’s still creamy but you can also use ricotta cheese if you want
• Fresh mozzarella cheese – I prefer fresh mozzarella over pre-shredded because it melts quicker
• Fresh basil for topping – this is optional but I love adding basil to the top of the dish before serving. If you aren’t a big basil fan, you can omit

How to make baked orzo pasta:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Add the orzo, pasta sauce and water to baking dish and stir to combine
3. Add in the spinach and mix again
4. Use a spoon and add dollops of cottage cheese on top then top with mozzarella pieces (I shred this or cut into smaller pieces)
5. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes
6. I like to broil for a minute or so to brown the cheese then remove, add basil if using and serve

FAQs and tips on making baked orzo pasta:

• Do I need to cook the orzo before baking? Nope! You do not need to cook the pasta before adding it to the casserole dish. The orzo bakes in the oven in the sauce and water.
• Do I have to add in spinach to this recipe? Nope! I love adding in some greens. Usually I just toss it in but you can also chopped it up if you want (usually a safer way to get kids to eat it).
• Can I make this recipe dairy-free? Absolutely. Use a vegan cheese if you want. I personally haven’t done that but usually dairy-free mozzarella cheese is a 1:1 sub.
• Why do you put cottage cheese in this? I like to use it instead of a ricotta cheese for protein. But if you like ricotta more, add it instead of cottage cheese. You just want something creamy.
• Can I use a gluten/regular orzo pasta? Totally! If you’re not gluten-free, any orzo pasta can work.
• Does this recipe keep well? With the gluten-free orzo, it tastes best fresh. It absorbs a lot more liquid than traditional orzo so it can dry out and get a little soggy days after.

A few other delicious pasta recipes to try:

No-Boil Creamy Broccoli Pasta Bake

The Easiest No-Boil Baked Pasta Recipe (gluten-free)

Easy Gluten-free Pasta Primavera Recipe

Fall Pasta with Kale Pesto and Roasted Squash