Lately, I’ve been getting a ton of requests for easy and simple weeknight dinners, so my answer to you is this one-pan lemony leek orzo! It’s the perfect spring dish!
Think buttery orzo and butter beans, cooked in a garlicky leek sauce with spinach and fresh parsley. Like what more could you want?
If you’re looking for even more orzo recipes, highly recommend my spring orzo salad, it has a similar flavor profile to this dish!
Why This One-Pan Orzo Is Perfect
In case you need any more convincing to make this dish!
- This leek orzo recipe comes together in just under 40 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
- You can easily scale this recipe up to feed a big family and have leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Plus, like all of my recipes, this healthy one-pan leek orzo is both comforting and nourishing.
What You Need To Make This One-Pan Lemony Leek Orzo
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this creamy leek orzo!
- Orzo: If you’re gluten-free, Jovial makes an amazing cassava flour orzo pasta.
- Butter beans or cannellini beans:
- Spinach
- Leeks
- Fresh garlic
- Cashew milk or any creamy milk
- Extra virgin olive oil:
- Butter or vegan butter: This is essential; it helps emulsify the sauce and add richness and flavor!
- Lemons: You’ll need both lemon juice and zest.
- Spices: Including Italian herbs, cumin, and black pepper. The Italian herb mix I use has oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, savory, marjoram, and sage.
- Nutritional yeast: Feel free to use finely grated parmesan instead if you prefer!
- Kosher salt
Storing + Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftovers in a glass container in the fridge, it keeps well for up to 3 days. It does thicken up as it sits in the fridge, so when you reheat it, add a splash of extra cashew milk and olive oil to your pan to help loosen up the sauce.
Quick Note
One of the amazing things about this one-pan lemony leek orzo is that you can pair it with any type of protein, ie. chicken thighs, skirt steak, beans, etc.
If you do choose to use an animal protein, I’d recommend pan-searing it before you start cooking the orzo in the pan. That way you can keep the number of dishes you use to only one or two!
If you have any questions at all, please DM me on Instagram or comment down below.
So excited for you to make this one-pan orzo recipe! As always, love it when you rate and review my recipes, your feedback is always appreciated!
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One-Pan Lemony Leek Orzo
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Description
This one-pan lemony leek orzo is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner that’ll have everyone coming back for seconds! Think buttery orzo and butter beans, cooked in a garlicky leek sauce with spinach and fresh parsley. Like what more could you want?
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo, dry
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tsp italian herbs
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp butter or vegan butter
- 1/2 cup cashew milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 can (14 oz) butter beans or cannellini beans*
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Fresh minced parsley, for garnish
- Zest of 1 lemon, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the aromatics and spices. Before you start cooking, I highly recommend prepping the leeks, garlic, and spices (mise en place) to help the cooking process go smoothly.
- Prepare the orzo. Prepare the orzo according to package instructions. Once the orzo is done, drain in a colander and set aside.
- Make the creamy lemony leek sauce. In the same pan (I used a deep skillet), add the olive oil and heat on medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the leeks and minced garlic. Cook the aromatics for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has just browned and the leeks are tender. Sprinkle in the spices, kosher salt, and butter. Stir and fry the spices for an additional 1 minute or until fragrant. Finally, add in the cashew milk and lemon juice. Stir the sauce and let it reach a soft boil.
- Finish the dish. Once the sauce has reached a soft boil and thickened slightly, add in the cooked orzo, butter beans, and spinach, and sprinkle over the nutritional yeast. Stir to combine and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Let the orzo continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce is super creamy and the spinach has wilted.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish the lemony leek orzo with fresh minced parsley and lemon zest.
Notes
*One of the great things about this dish is that you can pair it with any type of protein, ie. chicken thighs, beef, beans, fish, etc. If you do choose to use an animal protein, I’d recommend pan-searing it in olive oil before you start cooking the orzo in the pan.
So good! You have a gift for balancing flavors. Doubled for dinner but kept lemon at 1/4 C. Ty for sharing these recipes, haven’t made one yet that we haven’t loved. I’ve been sleeping on leeks, they were delish.
Awww thank you so much Nancy, made my day to read this!!
Made this tonight and it was awesome! Did make a few substitutions. Parmesan for the nutritional yeast and cut back the cumin to 1/4 tsp as it gives the hubby indigestion. Also mixed the zest in as it was finishing cooking. Hubby loved it and said you can do that one again!!! Took a dish over to my 87 year old mom. I know she’ll want the recipe. Thanks for something new do do with leeks. I WILL be making this again.
What other kind of milks would work?