This 1-Pot Tomato Orzo is without a doubt my most viral recipe ever, with 25 million views on Instagram. The idea was to use as few dishes as possible by cooking the orzo directly in the tomato broth using a risotto-style method. Plus, it doesn't require any chopping and is ready in 30 minutes.
👩🏼🍳 A Quick Look: Tomato Orzo
- 🕒 Ready in: 30 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 4 (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: 316
- 💪 Protein: 12g (tips to increase!)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: One pot
- 📖 Dietary Info: Naturally vegan and dairy-free. Use bone broth to make higher protein.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- ❤️ Why You'll Love It: This creamy tomato orzo practically makes itself - one pot, no chopping, and minimal cleanup. It's the kind of recipe that feels like it took hours, yet barely any effort at all.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON:
I love my job as a private chef, but after a long shift in the kitchen, the last thing I want to do is figure out what to make for dinner, which means... more cooking. And if anyone calls a recipe "lazy" but still starts with chopping an onion - no thanks!
That's exactly how this recipe was born. What if I could skip all the chopping and throw everything into one pot, then have dinner 20 minutes later?
I used what I like to call the "risotto method" - cooking the pasta directly in the sauce with lots of broth, all in the same pan. The result is a rich, saucy tomato orzo pasta with minimal cleanup, perfect for when you want a proper home-cooked meal without the effort.
Orzo is one of my favorite ingredients because it's shaped like rice, but is actually a type of pasta. You can use it risotto-style, toss it in a salad like my spinach feta salad with orzo, or make it into a cheesy pasta like this creamy orzo mac and cheese.
what readers are saying:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is a regular in my house!! Favourite for vegetarians and meat eaters and super easy on a week night after work. Thanks Petra!!
-Cathy
this review was submitted by a reader who made the recipe.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Orzo: Also known as risoni, a type of short-cut pasta in the shape of rice. If you can't find it, you can also use macaroni, ditalini, or another small pasta of your choice.
- Cherry tomatoes: Both cherry and grape tomatoes work for this recipe. Cherry tomatoes burst more and mellow into the dish, whereas the grape variety stays more intact.
- Tomato paste: I use double-concentrated tomato paste from a tube for that bold umami flavor. I love using this in most tomato-based dishes, such as tomato vodka pasta without alcohol and creamy pumpkin tomato soup. If you can't find it, use regular tomato paste.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic and grate it on a micrograter/garlic press to keep this recipe completely no-chop. If you don't have those tools on hand, you can use garlic powder, but you'll be skimming on some flavor.
- Italian seasoning: I love using a blend for convenience. If you don't have it on hand, you can use equal parts dried thyme, oregano, and basil.
- Broth: Use vegetable broth to keep it vegan, and bone broth to bump up the protein.
- Baby spinach: For added nutrients, I like tossing some baby spinach at the end, but other tender greens can also work, like baby kale or arugula.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add more veggies: Grated zucchini or carrot would be delicious here, and it still counts as no chopping. 😉
- Creamy tomato orzo: After cooking, finish the orzo with a splash of heavy cream and a generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese to give body and a rich finish to the sauce. If you're vegan, use full-fat coconut milk, adding it a little bit at a time (about ½ cup is usually enough), until it looks creamy. Finish with a nice squeeze of lemon juice.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes: If you want to add even more tomato flavor, feel free to add a small handful of roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Use canned tomatoes: You can use 1 can (15 oz) whole peeled tomatoes with their juices. Crush them by hand before adding, then cook as directed. I personally love using canned tomatoes when fresh ones are not in season, like in my tomato feta soup.
- Swap the chickpeas: I like using chickpeas for protein and fiber, but canellini beans or lentils can also work. If you want to double the protein of this tomato chickpea orzo, you can use bone broth instead of vegetable broth AND stir in 1 cup rotisserie chicken at the end, this way you'll easily get 30g of protein per serving. For a vegan option, toss in a block of crispy baked tofu like the one from my Asian-Inspired buddha bowl with tofu.
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How To Make Tomato Orzo In 1 Pot
Step 1: Heat a heavy-bottomed pan such as a shallow Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, the cherry tomatoes, and a pinch of salt. Cook with a lid on for 8-10 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst and release their juices.
Step 2: Add minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir and let the tomato paste toast until it darkens in color and goes from raw to caramelized.
Step 3: Add the dry orzo and Italian seasoning, coating it in the tomato paste and oil. Let everything toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't burn.
Step 4: Add bone/vegetable broth and stir to deglaze the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 16-20 minutes, stirring often, or until the broth is mostly absorbed and the orzo is al dente.
Step 5: Add the drained canned chickpeas and baby spinach. If the orzo seems a little too runny, let it rest for 5 minutes to absorb some of that broth.
Step 6: Stir and give it a taste test. Adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more salt or black pepper. Finish with parmesan cheese if desired.
Watch Me Make It In 30 Seconds
👩🏼🍳 Chef Petra's Tips
- Toast the tomato paste. Browning the tomato paste before adding the liquid unlocks a layer of flavor you won't get by just stirring it at the end. This gives the tomato paste the chance to caramelize and concentrate, getting rid of that raw, acidic taste.
- Stir often. Orzo likes to stick a lot. Make sure not to leave it unattended and stir every couple of minutes so it cooks evenly.
- Simmer on low. Keep the heat down and let the pasta slowly absorb the broth. High heat will cause the sauce to splatter and the bottom to scorch. With the one-pot method, low and slow is always the way to go.
- Adjust broth amount as needed. Since some broth evaporates during cooking, start with less, then adjust - if the sauce looks too thick before the tomato orzo is fully cooked, splash in a little more. For al dente, stick to the lower end. For a softer texture, add a bit more.
Recipe FAQs
While I've only tested this with orzo - pearl barley, farro, or other small pasta shapes like ditalini, acini de pepe, or couscous should all work. Just keep in mind you'll need to adjust the liquid and cooking time depending on what you use.
Yes! Use quinoa, arborio rice, or small gluten-free pasta (like macaroni) instead of orzo. Make sure to adjust the liquid and cooking time depending on what you're using.
The most common reasons for orzo being mushy are adding too much liquid and cooking on too high a heat. I always recommend starting with less liquid, then adding more as needed. Keep the heat to medium-low so the orzo has time to absorb the broth slowly and cook evenly. Also, keep in mind that the residual heat continues to cook the orzo, so pull it off just a little before it looks done. It'll finish itself!
Storing: Let the orzo cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Reheating: Orzo gets softer when reheating, so make sure not to overheat it. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or warm it up on the stovetop with a splash of water, stirring occasionally. Orzo tends to absorb the liquid as it sits, so you can loosen it up by adding a little broth or water.
Yes! Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Tomato Orzo Serving Suggestions
I love serving this orzo as a main dish, alongside a simple veggie side like crispy roasted Brussels sprouts (from frozen) or these simple salad kabobs. I also like to cozy it up with a bowl of this broccoli, potato, and pea soup.
Want to bump up the protein? Try these baked chicken meatballs if you're in the mood for meat. For a plant-based option, my crispy tempeh in the air fryer is the perfect addition!
More No-Chop Recipes
If you tried this Creamy Tomato Orzo or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
1-Pot Tomato Orzo (No Chop!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes whole (grape tomatoes also work)
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 ½ - 3 cups vegetable broth (use bone broth to make higher protein)
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
- 2 oz baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan such as a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add olive oil and the cherry tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt, and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes, or until they burst and release their juices.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste has darkened in color and started to caramelized. Add the orzo and italian seasoning and toast everything for 1-2 minutes.2-3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 cup dry orzo, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 ½ - 3 cups vegetable broth
- Add the vegetables broth (start with less), season with salt and black pepper, and cover with a lid. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 16-20 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.
- When the orzo has absorbed all of the liquid, remove from the heat and stir the chickpeas and spinach. Let the spinach wilt from the heat, then taste and adjust the flavor if needed - adding more salt and black pepper to taste, or a splash of broth if needed to loosen it up. Serve with your favorite cheese (I used burrata) and a drizzle of olive oil!1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained, 2 oz baby spinach
Video
Notes
- Toast the tomato paste before adding the liquid. This concentrates the flavor and removes that raw, acidic taste.
- Stir often. Orzo sticks easily, so stir every couple of minutes to prevent burning.
- Simmer on low. Keep the heat down and let the orzo slowly absorb the broth. High heat will cause splattering and scorching.
- Adjust broth as needed. If the sauce looks too thick before the orzo is done, add a splash more. Less broth for al dente, more for a softer texture.
- Fridge: Let the orzo cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze up to 3 months. Let thaw before reheating.
- Reheating: Orzo gets softer when reheating, so make sure not to overheat it. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or warm it up on the stovetop with a splash of water, stirring occasionally. Orzo tends to absorb the liquid as it sits, so you can loosen it up by adding a little broth or water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Cathy says
This is a regular in my house!! Favourite for vegetarians and meat eaters and super easy on a week night after work. Thanks Petra!!
Petra says
I'm very happy to hear you like the recipe, Cathy! It's one of my favorites too when I'm looking for a quick weeknight meal!
L says
So good! I was looking for a way to use up my garden cherry tomatoes AND make something quick and easy, and this was perfect. Love that it's no chop. Will definitely make again
Petra says
Love hearing this! I bet it tasted amazing with those garden tomatoes.Thank you for the 5-star review!
Kellie says
I love this recipe! I've probably made it at least 10 times now. The only changes I made are using cooked lentils instead of chickpeas and arugala instead of spinach. I recently deleted Instagram in an attempt to spend less time on social media, so I was overjoyed to find this recipe posted on the web. Thank you for this
fast and delicious recipe. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes in the future!
Petra says
I'm so happy to hear that, Kellie! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Petra says
I hope you guys love the recipe as much as I do!