NYT’s Cheesy Baked Orzo With Marinara

“A vegetarian weeknight pasta that’s as comforting as it is easy, this dish will win over adults and kids alike (red-pepper flakes optional!).”

— LIDEY HEUCK, NYT Cooking

Hello! and yes, it is another NYT Cooking app recipe, and it is absolutely delicious! STEP ONE: Make sure your ingredients in the fridge are not expired before you’re in the middle of a recipe and without a viable ingredient! That was my one and only fail with this recipe. The mozzarella I had was expired so I used some cheddar gruyere in its place. It was still absolutely delicious.

HOT (but not-so-subtle) TIP, for those who are “almost” vegetarian, feel free to add meatballs to this dish, or even mockballs (veggie meatballs) if you have them.

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This recipe was very straight forward. I followed this recipe as written, outside of the expired cheese, including salting the water thoroughly before baking the orzo. The orzo package I used made it clear how much salt to use based on the volume of orzo that was being boiled.

The orzo was a beautiful texture when cooked al dente! I recommend this dish for any night of the week. Especially if you have a standing pasta night.

Happy weeknight cooking!

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Cheesy Baked Orzo With Marinara

INGREDIENTS

• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 5 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 7 cups)
• 1 (24- to 25-ounce) jar marinara sauce
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus torn or sliced basil for serving
• 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain the orzo and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a very large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn), about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the marinara, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.
• Stir the cooked orzo into the sauce. Stir in the mozzarella, sprinkle the Parmesan on top, and bake, uncovered, until the Parmesan is melted and the pasta is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional basil, and serve warm.

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Let me know how the recipe turned out for you in the comments below!