Ground Beef Orzo is a creamy one-pot dinner: lean ground beef browned with onion and garlic, then simmered with orzo in tomato sauce, beef broth and cream until the pasta is tender, and finished with parmesan and fresh spinach. It serves 4 and takes about 30 minutes, with just one pot to wash.
How to make it: Brown the beef, add the onion, then stir in the garlic, seasonings and dry orzo for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth, cream and Worcestershire and let it gently bubble for 10 minutes, stirring often. Take it off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, cover for a few minutes to thicken, and serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot: the orzo cooks right in the sauce, so there is no pasta water to drain.
- 30 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and 20 at the stove.
- Creamy tomato sauce: tomato sauce and heavy cream with parmesan stirred in at the end.
- Easy to change: make it lighter with half-and-half or turn it into taco orzo.
Ingredient Notes
Lean ground beef: One pound. With lean beef there is little fat to spoon off.
Orzo: One cup, uncooked. It cooks in the sauce.
Onion and garlic: Half a medium onion, chopped, and 3 to 4 cloves of garlic.
Tomato sauce, broth and cream: A 15-ounce can of tomato sauce, 3/4 cup of beef broth and 1 cup of heavy cream make the sauce.
Seasonings: Half a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.
Parmesan and spinach: Half a cup of freshly grated parmesan and 2 packed cups of baby spinach go in off the heat.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make One Pot Ground Beef Orzo
1. Brown the beef. Add the ground beef to a soup pot or Dutch oven and break it up a little with a spoon. Cook without stirring over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the onion. Add the onion and break the beef into small pieces. Cook about 5 minutes more, until the beef is no longer pink (160°F). If there is a lot of fat, spoon some out.
3. Toast the orzo. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and orzo and cook for about a minute.
4. Simmer. Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth, cream and Worcestershire. Once it bubbles, cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often, turning the heat down to medium or medium-low so it gently bubbles rather than boils.
5. Finish. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened to your liking. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
How to Cook Orzo in the Sauce Without Sticking
Orzo is a pasta, but here it cooks more like rice, soaking up the sauce in the pot. Three things keep it creamy and tender.
Keep it at a gentle bubble. Once the sauce starts bubbling, turn the heat down to medium or medium-low. A hard boil reduces the liquid before the pasta has had time to cook.
Stir often. Orzo settles to the bottom of the pot, so give it a stir every minute or so while it simmers.
Let it rest off the heat. After 10 minutes the orzo is nearly done. Stir in the parmesan and spinach, put the lid on, and wait 3 to 5 minutes. The sauce thickens as it sits and the spinach wilts. If it gets thicker than you like, stir in a splash more broth.
Tips for Success
- Let the beef sit first: leave it undisturbed for the first 5 to 6 minutes so it browns.
- Grate your own parmesan: the recipe calls for freshly grated.
- Use a wide pot: a soup pot or Dutch oven gives the orzo room to cook evenly.
Variations
- Without heavy cream: simmer the orzo in the tomato sauce with 2 cups of low-sodium beef broth for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, then stir in 1/4 cup of half-and-half and 1/3 cup of parmesan off the heat.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: use a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce.
- Cheesy: use a jar of four-cheese pasta sauce and top with shredded mozzarella.
- Taco orzo: season with taco seasoning and tomato paste, add a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, beans and corn, and finish with cheddar and Monterey Jack.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened. FSIS lists cream sauces among foods that do not freeze well, so keep this one in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with a green salad or garlic bread. For more ground beef pasta and noodle dinners, try ground beef stroganoff, 15-minute Mongolian ground beef noodles, old fashioned goulash or slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole. For other quick beef dinners, there is ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes and hamburger steaks with onion mushroom gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with orzo and ground beef?
Cook them together in one pot with tomato sauce, broth and cream for a creamy orzo dinner, or season them like tacos with tomatoes, beans, corn and cheese.
Can I make ground beef orzo without cream?
Yes. Use 2 cups of beef broth with the tomato sauce and finish with 1/4 cup of half-and-half and parmesan instead of heavy cream.
Do I cook orzo like rice or pasta?
In this recipe, like rice: the dry orzo simmers in the sauce and absorbs the liquid instead of boiling in water and being drained.
Why is my orzo sticking to the pot?
The heat is too high or it needs more stirring. Keep it at a gentle bubble on medium or medium-low and stir often.
Final Notes
Brown the beef, keep the sauce at a gentle bubble, and let it rest off the heat to thicken. If you make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Ground Beef Orzo
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Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced, 3 to 4
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 ounces
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach packed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a soup pot or Dutch oven and break it up a little with a spoon. Cook without stirring over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the onion and break the beef into small pieces. Cook about 5 minutes more, until the beef is no longer pink (160°F). If there is a lot of fat, spoon some out.
- Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and orzo and cook for about a minute.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth, cream and Worcestershire. Once it bubbles, cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often, turning the heat down to medium or medium-low so it gently bubbles rather than boils.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened to your liking. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
