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This baked feta orzo with tomatoes makes the viral baked feta pasta even easier.
Using orzo means you can make this dish in a single pan for less cleanup.
You can easily add a protein to this recipe, like shredded chicken or white beans.
Remember the viral baked feta pasta we were all making during lockdown? Well, many years later, I’m still making it on the regular. Since its initial viral moment, I’ve riffed on it endlessly. In some of my experiments, I’ve added a seasonal spin or a flavor twist, like using butternut squash instead of tomatoes, but my favorite so far is the one that made it even easier: a one-pan baked feta orzo recipe with all the heart of the original but fewer dishes.
Making a Simple Dish Even Easier
The original baked feta pasta starts with a block of feta placed in the middle of a baking dish and surrounded by juicy cherry tomatoes. After baking, the feta melts and browns a little on top while the tomatoes burst open to release their sweet juices. When stirred together, they make the easiest, creamiest pasta sauce imaginable.
The one thing I don’t love about the original recipe is having to cook the pasta separately. That’s another dish I have to clean and another step in the process of making a simple weeknight dinner. I figured there had to be a way to cut out that step, so I looked no further than the bag of orzo taking up space in my cabinet.
Baked orzo with feta and cherry tomatoes in a red casserole dish
Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond
Cooking With Orzo
Orzo can be added to just about anything to bulk it up, and it easily takes a recipe from side dish to main course. It’s more tender and easier to get right than rice, but I often use it in the same way. Plus, orzo soaks up so much saucy flavor when baked in the same pan with the feta and tomatoes.
To give the orzo a little extra liquid to absorb in the oven, I add chicken or vegetable broth. I sprinkle in some dried oregano and garlic powder for extra flavor and stir it all together. Then, I nestle in that creamy block of feta and scatter ripe cherry or grape tomatoes around the edges. You could cut them in half or leave them whole, as they’ll burst in the oven anyway.
Plates of baked feta orzo with cherry tomatoes and a mixed green salad served with forks
Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond
The Final Steps
After 25 to 30 minutes in the oven, your one-pan baked feta orzo is ready. All you have left to do is remove the pan from the oven and mash the melted feta with a wooden spoon, stirring it together with the juicy tomatoes and plump orzo. I love to stir in chopped or torn basil leaves along with a healthy squeeze of lemon juice to finish.
If you want to add protein, now would be the time to stir in some cooked shredded chicken, salmon, chickpeas, or white beans.
And because all of the cooking took place in just one pan, you can tuck into a big bowl of baked feta orzo knowing that after that last perfect bite, all you have to do is rinse a single baking dish before calling it a night.
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
4 servings
Note:
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Ingredients
16 ounces dry orzo
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 (8-ounce) block feta cheese
1 pint (about 10 ounces) grape or cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup roughly chopped basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Juice of 1/2 lemon, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Assemble the orzo bake:
To a 9×9-inch baking dish, add the orzo, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and broth. Use a spoon to stir to combine. Place the block of feta cheese in the middle of the pan and scatter the tomatoes around the feta.
Bake the orzo:
Bake uncovered until the orzo has absorbed almost all of the broth, 30 to 35 minutes.
Stir it together:
Remove the pan from the oven and use a wooden spoon to mash the feta and stir everything together until well combined. Stir in the chopped basil and lemon juice, if using. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Serve:
Serve the baked orzo in shallow bowls with a little more basil on top for garnish.
Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave with a splash of water or chicken broth to rehydrate the orzo.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
618
Calories
15g
Fat
93g
Carbs
28g
Protein
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