One-pot lemon garlic shrimp orzo
28 min · 33 g protein · 373 cals / serving
Orzo toasted in butter and garlic, then simmered in broth until it turns creamy like a risotto without any stirring marathon. Shrimp, asparagus and sweet peas cook right in the pot, a heap of spinach melts in at the end, and a big hit of lemon zest, lemon juice and parmesan makes the whole thing bright and savoury. One pot, 30 minutes, and it tastes like spring.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup pasta, orzo
- 2 3/4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 lb 2 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
- about 2/3 bunch asparagus, in 3 cm (1-inch) pieces
- 1 cup cooked frozen green peas
- 6 cups baby spinach
- zest of 1 lemon lemon zest
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan, finely grated
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- a pinch red pepper flakes
To serve
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Melt the butter with the oil in a wide, deep pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes until soft, then the garlic and pepper flakes for 1 minute more.
- Add the orzo and stir for 2 minutes until it smells toasty and some grains turn golden. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not stick.
- Season the shrimp with the salt. Stir the shrimp, asparagus and frozen peas into the orzo, cover and simmer 3–4 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque (145°F) and the orzo is tender. If it looks dry, add a splash of water; it should be loose and creamy.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then the lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan and black pepper. Taste for salt and lemon, scatter with parsley and serve right away while it is still creamy.
Good to know
It thickened in the pan. Is that normal?
Yes; orzo keeps drinking liquid as it sits. Loosen it with a few tablespoons of hot water or broth just before serving, and do the same when you reheat leftovers.
Can I use chicken instead?
Use 1 lb chicken breast in small cubes. Brown it first in the pan, set it aside, and add it back with the peas so it finishes cooking (165°F). It scores a little lower, at about 63 instead of 66.
Out of season for asparagus?
Use zucchini, broccoli florets or green beans in the same amount. Frozen broccoli goes straight in with the peas.
Per
- Calories
- 89
- Protein
- (36%)
- 8 g
- Fat
- (21%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (43%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 293 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1492 kcal goes into the pot and 2118 g of ingredients comes out as about 1680 g of food: 89 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.