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Meatless meals are great to make especially to keep things budget-friendly, and this One Pot Orzo with Vegetable recipe is the best way to do that with tons of veggies and tender pasta!
One-pot pasta recipes are great recipes to make during those busy weeknights with only simple ingredients and rice shaped pasta and delicious flavor.
The fact that you can make this all in a single pot makes it even better! With this easy pasta recipe, you can have dinner made in no time, and with very few dishes to clean up at the end!
![budget friendly family meals](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-05-31-at-9.02.38-PM-1024x505.png)
Ingredients for One Pot Orzo with Vegetables:
![One pot orzo with vegetables](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_0971-1024x876.jpg)
- Oil: use your favorite olive oil or avocado oil for this orzo recipe
- Veggies: use a diced yellow onion, cherry tomatoes, diced zucchini, and fresh spinach chopped and added to the pasta salad
- Seasonings: you will need to add minced garlic, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning for the best flavor
- Pasta: be sure to have uncooked orzo (the pasta in the shape of rice) to make this one-pot orzo dish
- Liquid: to make sure that the orzo cooks properly you will need to use vegetable broth or vegetable stock for cooking the orzo to al dente
- Cheese: freshly grated Parmesan cheese will work great with this meatless meal
How to make One Pot Orzo with Vegetables:
To a large pot on the stove over medium heat add in the olive oil once hot add in the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and zucchini stir well let cook together for 3 minutes.
![One pot orzo with vegetables](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_0979-768x1024.jpg)
Turn the heat to high and add in the orzo, broth, and seasonings stir well and bring to a boil once boiling turn the heat down to a high simmer.
![One pot orzo with vegetables](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_0981-768x1024.jpg)
Let simmer for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally until the orzo is tender.
![One pot orzo with vegetables](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_1005-768x1024.jpg)
Stir in the chopped spinach and parmesan cheese and let cook for 1-2 minutes then serve and enjoy.
![One pot orzo with vegetables](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_1007-768x1024.jpg)
How to store leftover pasta and vegetables:
Fridge: Put any leftover pasta into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips and tricks for making this meatless pasta dish:
Pasta shapes to use:
When making these types of pasta salads I enjoy using the smaller pasta shapes, but if you prefer to use a larger pasta shape you can! Whatever you have on hand can work, however, the larger pasta make take longer to cook to al dente.
![One pot orzo with vegetables](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_1016-768x1024.jpg)
Fresh vegetables and other add-ins for this orzo risotto:
- Red bell peppers or green bell peppers
- Red onion
- Grape tomatoes
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Fresh basil (for topping)
- Feta cheese
Ways to add protein:
If you want to add more protein to this dish, you can always add in some cooked chicken or canned chicken, cannellini beans or black beans are all great options.
More one pot recipes:
- 3 Ingredient One Pot Sausage Pasta
- Dump and Go Garlic Chicken Pasta Casserole
- Rotisserie Chicken with Orzo Skillet
- Easy Chicken Fried Rice
![One pot orzo with vegetables](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_1010-380x380.jpg)
One Pot Orzo with Vegetables
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 zucchini diced
- 16 oz uncooked orzo
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 2 cups fresh chopped spinach
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- To a large pot on the stove over medium heat add in the olive oil once hot add in the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and zucchini stir well let cook together for 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat to high and add in the orzo, broth,, and seasonings stir well and bring to a boil once boiling turn the heat down to a high simmer.
- Let simmer for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally until the orzo is tender.
- Stir in the chopped spinach and parmesan cheese and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
![simple family meals](https://www.juliapacheco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-10-09-at-9.41.12-PM-1024x509.png)
Quick links for making dinner easy:
- Family meal plans
- Tools for the kitchen and more
- The best cookbook for family dinner recipes
- FREE budget meal plan
- Cooking videos to watch
If you give these recipes a try, make sure to tag us on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!