A creamy one-pan zucchini pesto orzo with Parmesan and shrimp is perfect for an easy weeknight. It is a one pot dinner (so little washing up), a pesto pasta with a twist and a lot of taste. It's an easy and quick recipe with lots of vegetables.
Easy peasy: One-Pan Zucchini Pesto Orzo with Parmesan and Shrimp
Do you like rice and pasta? Then orzo is something for you! It is dry pasta in the form of rice. It is often compared to risotto. The Italians often use it in soups, the Greeks in pilaf, and it is also used in stews in Arab cuisine.
Here in the Netherlands, it is not known yet, but that could change soon. Let me give you this easy recipe full of fresh flavors, a delicious one-pan meal (and, therefore, one of those dinner recipes that is ideal for a busy weekday). The ingredients are Mediterranean-inspired, which makes this dish give you summer on your plate.
Ingredients Easy One Pan Zucchini Pesto Orzo Recipe
A complete list of ingredients can be found at the end of this blog. ( I forgot to put the pesto and tomatoes in the picture. I'm going to put a redo of this picture on my to-do list ;-))
- Orzo: A dried pasta in the shape of rice. It is also called Riso or Kritharaki. Cook it al dente for this recipe.
- White wine: Use a dry white wine like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
- Shrimp: You can use precooked shrimp in this recipe. Because it is cooked in moisture, they don't dry out. You can replace the shrimps with chicken cubes (poach them in chicken stock first) or mushrooms (this will give you a vegetarian recipe).
- String beans: String beans are in season from July to October (and therefore with the best flavor in these months). But these days, you can get them all year round. You can also replace the string beans with green beans that you cut into 1 cm pieces.
- Pesto: Use a creamy green basil pesto. The pesto gives a lot of flavor to this recipe, so you want to use a good one here. Make a homemade pesto by combining the following pesto ingredients: fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. Blend until you get a pesto sauce. If you don't like basil, you could also use spinach (that will give you a spinach pesto)
- Parmesan cheese: Melts through the orzo and gives it a wonderful taste. You could also use Grana Padano.
How do you make this One-Pan Zucchini-Pesto Orzo?
A recipe that you can easily print can be found at the bottom of the blog.
- Place the stock, wine, and herbs in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the orzo, string beans, diced tomatoes, and zucchini to the pan and bring to the boil again.
- Simmer over medium heat for 4 minutes, and then add the shrimp.
- Cook for a couple of minutes, turn off the heat.
- Toss the pesto through this dish so that everything gets a delicious pesto layer.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and serve.
Also delicious: add some olive oil, black pepper, lemon zest, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to taste. Roast some pine nuts and spread them on top.
Tips and Variations:
- Different vegetables: Try other veggies like spinach, kale, quartered cherry tomatoes, summer squash, or peas for a different flavor twist.
- Stir sparingly: Avoid over-stirring the orzo to prevent it from becoming sticky. Just stir occasionally.
- Herbs: Instead of thyme and oregano, you could also use basil or parsley.
- Creamy orzo with Parmesan, zucchini, shrimp, tomato, and pesto is perfect for an easy weeknight. It is a one-pan dinner (so little washing up) with a lot of taste. An easy and quick recipe.
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons paprika powder, ground
- 3 cups orzo, uncooked
- 8 oz. string beans
- 1 zucchini, sliced in cubes (about ½ x ½ inch; 1 x 1 cm)
- 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 8 oz. shrimp
- 2 tablespoons green pesto
- 3 oz. Parmesan cheese
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes, cut in strips
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Place the stock, wine, thyme, oregano, and paprika in a saucepan and boil on high heat.1¼ cup vegetable broth, ¼ cup dry white wine, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons paprika powder
- Add the orzo, string beans, zucchini, and tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes.3 cups orzo, 8 oz. string beans, 1 zucchini, 10 cherry tomatoes
- Add the prawns and cook for 3 minutes.8 oz. shrimp
- Turn off the heat and stir the pesto into the orzo.2 tablespoons green pesto
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and stir it. Season with lemon juice.3 oz. Parmesan cheese, 5 sun-dried tomatoes, ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Different vegetables: Try other veggies like spinach, kale, quartered cherry tomatoes, summer squash, or peas for a different flavor twist.
- Stir sparingly: Avoid over-stirring the orzo to prevent it from becoming sticky. Just stir occasionally.
- Herbs: Instead of thyme and oregano, you could also use basil or parsley.
- Refrigerator: Cool the orzo to room temperature and store it in an airtight container. This will stay good for up to 2 days. Reheat slowly on medium heat while stirring. You could also eat it as a pesto orzo salad.
- Freezer: Cool and pack in an airtight freezer box or bag. The orzo will stay good in the freezer for up to 1 month. Please note: freezing may change the structure of the orzo slightly. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on medium heat while stirring.
Nutrition
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