One-Pan Baked Feta and Tomato Orzo
Toss it in one pan, bake, stir, and dinner is done.
This is the kind of dinner to make when you’re tired, hungry, and don’t want to babysit a skillet. Everything goes into one pan, then the oven does most of the work while the tomatoes burst and the feta melts into a creamy sauce. You still get a real, satisfying dinner, but with very little chopping or hovering. Expect a cozy, salty-tangy pasta with soft orzo and plenty of tomato flavor. It’s best on a night when you want something warm and comforting without a lot of cleanup, and it works well with a bagged salad or crusty bread if you have the energy.
Ingredients
- 2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 unit feta cheese block — 8 oz block
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 unit garlic cloves — thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes — optional
- 2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup orzo
- 2 cup baby spinach
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 0.25 cup fresh basil — torn
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
Method
- 1 Heat the oven to 425°F. In a 9x13-inch baking dish or similarly sized oven-safe pan, add the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes if using, and black pepper. Nestle the feta block in the center and drizzle a little oil over the top.
- 2 Bake for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are collapsing and the feta is soft. Stir everything together with a spoon, then mix in the orzo and vegetable broth. Return to the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes more, stirring once halfway through, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- 3 Stir in the spinach, lemon juice, and basil. Let it sit for 2 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly, then taste and add more black pepper if you want. Serve warm.
- 4 If the pan looks too thick, splash in a little hot water or broth before serving.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Add 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained, with the orzo for extra protein and a more filling dinner.
- Faster swap — Use quick-cooking orzo and warm the broth before adding it; the second bake may only need 7 to 9 minutes.
- Substitutions — Swap spinach for chopped kale, basil for parsley, or cherry tomatoes for chopped regular tomatoes if that’s what you have.
Notes
For the creamiest texture, stir the feta and tomatoes well before adding the orzo. The dish thickens as it sits, so don’t worry if it looks a little loose when it comes out of the oven.
Equipment that helps
- 9x13-inch baking dish — Gives the tomatoes room to roast and makes the one-pan method easy.
- Wooden spoon — Helps mash the feta and tomatoes into a creamy sauce without scratching the pan.
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