While practically all pasta dishes can be deemed “family-friendly,” this one might just win the prize. I think it has something to do with the way orzo is so fun for everyone at the table. Maybe it’s because of its cute, rice-like shape or how quickly it cooks. Regardless, it’s a fast-cooking favorite for weeknight ease, and a great vehicle for handfuls of spinach.
Turn that orzo into a one-pot meal, in which the liquid it’s cooked in becomes a ridiculously creamy sauce before baby spinach and Parmesan are stirred in. What you have is a dinner that’s guaranteed a recurring spot on your weekly meal plan. So you should pencil it in right away.
Orzo will cook up fast in a simmering pot of chicken or vegetable broth and milk, and the starch that leaches out of the pasta actually helps thicken the creamy sauce. There’s little work required of you, besides stirring in a few big handfuls of roughly chopped spinach (chopped so that it wilts extra fast, or frozen for real convenience) and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.
It’s a dish that’s reminiscent of stovetop mac and cheese—thanks to just the right amount of ooey-gooey-ness going on—but feels a bit more wholesome with those flecks of green shining through. I like it most as a main dish, but if you’re looking to stretch the pot, it also makes for a nice bed for roasted shrimp or pan-seared salmon. It also works well as a perfect side dish for roasted chicken or pork chops. Either way, I feel confident you can’t go wrong.
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