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Creamy Cheesy Spinach Orzotto

This is like Mac n Cheese with attitude! Easy to whip up, orzo turns into creamy goodness with milk and stock, and cheesy thanks to parmesan and fontina cheeses. Fold spinach in for added bonus and a pop of colour. A perfect weekday dinner or side.
Course Main Course
Cuisine North American
Keyword baby spinach, chicken stock, fontina cheese, orzo, parmesan cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound dried orzo pasta or 450 grams
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth plus more if needed
  • 2 cups whole milk plus more if needed, feel free to replace with your favourite non-dairy milk.
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup freshly shredded Fontina cheese
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • chilli flakes

Instructions

  1. Have the stock and milk at room temperature.
  2. Heat the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  3. Add the onion and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and orzo, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  5. Stir in the 1 3/4 cups of both the broth and milk and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring regularly to ensure that the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed and has formed a creamy sauce, about 8 or so minutes.

  6. Remove the lid and continue adding the stock and milk in small amounts, cooking through and adding more till the pasta is tender and the sauce is as creamy as you like.
  7. Stir in the spinach, Parmesan and Fontina cheeses. Let the spinach will and the cheese melt through. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed (the parmesan may have added enough, maybe not).
  8. Garnish with additional cheese if desired. Finish with chilli flakes as desired.
  9. See blog post for more details and add-in suggestions.

Recipe Notes

Leftovers can be rewarmed with a bit more milk in a sauce pan over medium low heat.
Recipe is a riff on the one found here over at The Kitchn