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So, you’re craving the glistening grains of a gooey risotto but don’t want to slave for hours over the stove? Open your doors to orzotto! Creamy chorizo and spinach orzo is a risotto-style pasta dish with all the texture and flavour of risotto but on the table in under 15 minutes. Minimum effort for maximum reward. If you’re new to cooking with orzo, this is the recipe to start with.
Orzo can be served hot and creamy, as in this recipe or this vegetarian creamy orzo pasta with butternut squash, or cool and al dente in this Greek orzo salad with grilled zucchini. How do you prefer yours?
Creamy orzo recipe
This is an affiliate link.Orzo has been topping my shopping list for months now: it has a rapid cook time and feels like a break from go-to pasta. Plus, my family can’t get enough of it! So, I’m constantly having to come up with new recipes. This one is the quickest and easiest by far.
Orzo, whose small grains could fool you into thinking it’s rice, is 100% pasta. It has a high starch content which makes it perfect for making a faux-risotto.
This orzotto is flavoured with garlic and smoky chorizo and cooked in double cream (heavy cream US) with a generous handful of parmesan to create a lava-like consistency.
Unlike risotto, there’s no need to slowly add stock and stir, stir, stir for up to 30 minutes. In this recipe, after deglazing the pan with either white wine or stock, all the stock and cream can go in in one go. Just stir to make sure the orzo grains don’t stick and then let it simmer for 8 minutes.
To finish, throw in some spinach leaves and allow them to wilt. Done!
And if you love this dish, you need to give my Creamy Orzo Pasta Primavera! It uses a similar approach to making orzo, but with a fresh twist. Or stick with orzo and make Italian Sausage and Kale Orzo.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You’ll notice that this orzo recipe seems very similar in method to risotto recipes. So similar it has been dubbed ‘orzotto’! Cute, right?!
- There is more than one type of chorizo out there, fyi. This recipe calls for the Spanish variety. Spanish chorizo has been cured and is a hard sausage shape. Not to be confused with Mexican chorizo, which is raw.
- You can buy Spanish chorizo ready-cubed, or as a whole sausage and dice it yourself.
- Any dry white wine will do for deglazing the pan. Or if you have some, dry Vermouth.
- If you prefer not to cook with wine, use ½ cup of chicken stock instead.
- I’ve used spinach in my recipe as it is so quick to cook, meaning this dish is ready in record time. But really you can use whatever you have that needs using up. Kale, green peas or beans, and broccoli are all excellent substitutes.
- Make sure you allow enough cooking time if you opt for a less leafy vegetable. Spinach takes no more than 2 minutes, whereas broccoli will take around 5 or so.
- We tend to eat this as a main dish for a quick and easy family dinner. But it could be served as a substantial side with chicken, pork or beef.
- As a recipe that’s heavy on cream, cheese and chorizo, it’s very rich. I like to eat mine with a simple side salad.
Serving suggestions
Chorizo and orzo are a versatile duo. This creamy dish is fortifying alone, although I eat mine with a green salad to offset the richness a tad, or supporting a meaty main.
For a meal that maximises protein, I’d serve chicken breasts. Either coated in this 4-ingredient chicken marinade– the lemon juice cuts through the cream and the paprika enhances the smoky chorizo flavour of the pasta. Or classic chicken parmesan for a super Italian experience.
Simply flavoured pork chops, or even a baked cod loin will hold their own against the bold orzotto flavours. If you are making a meal of it, stylish sides that compliment are warm zucchini salad with balsamic vinaigrette or pan-fried zucchini with basil and pecorino.
Storage and leftovers
Creamy orzo is definitely best served piping hot and oozy. If you have any leftovers though, store them in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container and in the fridge for 2-3 days. The consistency will thicken and the pasta might get a little sticky, so to reheat add a good splash of boiling water and cook on the stove.
Other recipes to try
- One Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo
- Tomato Cream Cheese Pasta with Chicken and Pancetta
- One Pan Greek Chicken and Orzo
- Baked Penne alla Vodka with Meatballs
Creamy Chorizo and Spinach Orzo
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron skillet
- This is an affiliate link.Fine grater
Ingredients
- 75g / 1/2 cup cured chorizo, cubed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200g / 1 cup This is an affiliate link.orzo
- 125ml / 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 500ml / 2 cups This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- 250ml / 1 cup double / heavy cream
- 50g / 1/2 cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese
- 100g / 3.5 oz fresh spinach
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large pan cook the diced chorizo over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the chorizo resembles bacon bits, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
- Add the orzo and stir until it’s coated in the fat from chorizo, then deglaze with the white wine and simmer over low heat for a minute or so or until the wine is reduced. Now add the chicken stock and double cream with a pinch of salt, stir well making sure no grains of orzo are sticking to the bottom of the pan, bring to a simmer and cook 8 minutes, then add spinach and cook for 2 minutes longer, stir in Parmesan cheese and take off the heat. Salt to taste.
Notes
- This recipe calls for Spanish chorizo, which has been cured and is in a hard sausage shape. It is not the same as Mexican chorizo, which is raw.
- To make your life easier, grab ready-cubed Spanish chorizo if you an find it! If not, it’s pretty easy to dice it yourself.
- Any dry white wine will work for deglazing the pan. I actually like to keep dry Vermouth around for this purpose.
- If you don’t want to cook with wine, you can use 1/2 cup of chicken stock instead.
- I’ve chosen spinach for this recipe because it is so easy to cook. Kale, green peas, green beans or broccoli will all work as well. If using a less leafy vegetable, you will need to add some cooking time. Spinach will take no longer than 2 minutes, while broccoli will take around 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Really tasty and easy to cook . I do like orzo
Could I add raw shrimp somewhere to have a double protein source?
You definitely can, Rebecca. Simply add the shrimp in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Alternatively, you can start by searing the shrimp in hot oil for extra flavour, remove from the pan, then continue with the recipe. At the end top with the cooked shrimp.