Creamy Chicken & Orzo Pasta Casserole
I am married to a man who eats a lot of food and it never ceases to amaze me how much he can actually eat in one sitting. You would think that eventually he would gain weight but that never seems to happen and it’s actually really infuriating to me because I have to watch every bite! Kidding but not if you know what I mean!
I know when he really loves something because he eats until he’s stuffed and that’s exactly what happened with this Creamy Chicken & Orzo Pasta Casserole! It was (there were no leftovers) so delicious…creamy and comforting! It’s the sort of food you want after a long day when you’re starving and tired…it just hits the spot! You would think from looking at this dish, that it would be filled with lots of cheese and really heavy, but actually it’s surprisingly light. It has under a cup of ricotta cheese and it’s sprinkled with mozzarella on top. Honestly, this will be my go-to for pasta casseroles from here on out because we both loved it so much!
Normally, I double recipes…I know I’ve told you that I’m still cooking for 5 people, but for some reason, I didn’t double this one and I really wish I had. This recipe comes together quickly and i promise you’ll love it. It could be vegetarian…just leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth. If I left out the chicken, I would add some parmesan and a little extra mozzarella, but it would still be delicious. Pasta baked with cheese and broth couldn’t ever be bad.
I think this Creamy Chicken & Orzo would be perfect for a potluck and definitely for a weeknight dinner! Keep scrolling for the recipe and make your grocery list because you’ll want to make it tonight!
Creamy Chicken & Orzo Casserole
Ingredients
- For the Chicken:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 - 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized cubes
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- For the Orzo:
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 4 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 cup dried orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta chiees
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons pesto - homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
- Spread the chicken in a single layer and cook until the chicken is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the garlic, shallots and mushrooms to the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms begin to soften and the shallots are tender.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the orzo and stir to combine.
- Add the broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and ricotta cheese and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer and add the cooked chicken back into the skillet. Stir to combine and sprinkle the top with plenty of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake until the orzo is cooked through and tender and the cheese is brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with pesto sauce and enjoy!
