Baked orzo recipes come in all different forms and this Sundried Tomato Boursin Baked Orzo is seriously one of the best 20 minute meals you can make. The orzo is baked to perfectly tender in a super flavorful and creamy mix of garlic and herb Boursin cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic, sundried tomatoes, and greens.
You know when you see a recipe and you get that urge to toss your current dinner plans aside and make that new recipe immediately?
This sundried tomato baked orzo was exactly that recipe for me a few months ago. After the whole baked feta pasta craze faded, I started to see several videos floating around on Instagram using Boursin cheese instead of feta.
And instead of mixing cooked pasta into the baked cheese, these creators were using orzo, which cooked right in the oven along with the cheese. Genius I tell you!
Ingredients for Boursin Baked Orzo
So I jumped on the bandwagon – pushing my limits too since I don’t usually make viral recipes – and I pulled all the ingredients out of my fridge and pantry. Incredibly, I had everything I needed, including a lonely and neglected package of Boursin that hadn’t spoiled yet.
Here’s the basic ingredient list for this baked orzo recipe. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card to find the full ingredient list!
- Garlic and Herb Boursin cheese
- Dry orzo pasta
- Sundried tomatoes in oil
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Dried herbs and spices: basil, parsley, thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh greens
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil and/or parsley, for garnish and serving
Easy Swaps
Cheese: Even though this recipe is designed around Boursin cheese, other similar options work too. Instead try chèvre, Alloutte brand, garlic & herb Pub cheese, or herbed goat cheese.
Pasta: If you don’t have orzo, ditalini will work great.
Sundried Tomatoes: Did you know you can rehydrate dried sundried tomatoes in olive oil for a couple of hours? They’re cheaper to buy and sometimes easier to find than jarred sundried tomatoes are.
Dried Herbs: If you’ve got it handy, use a heavy 2 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in place of the individual herbs I list in the recipe.
Greens: Feel free to use what you’ve got on hand or like the most. Fresh spinach, baby kale, and arugula are perfect here since they cook down quickly. I don’t recommend bigger kale varieties (like curly, etc.) or chard because they need longer cooking times to soften.
The Verdict
Riley and I absolutely loved this sundried tomato orzo recipe! It’s creamy, flavorful, and so so comforting!
As an entrée, I’ve served it a couple of ways: as yet another way to use up leftover roast chicken and also with thawed cooked shrimp mixed in.
As a side dish, this orzo would be fantastic alongside roast or grilled chicken, salmon, pork (chops, tenderloin, or roast), or even with vegetarian black bean burgers.
The only downfall for me is that the full recipe makes A LOT of pasta and it won’t freeze well because of the creamy sauce. So when I make it now, I simply cut the recipe in half, which gives us leftovers for a day or 2 instead of a week.
More Orzo Recipes
- Creamy Broccoli Orzo
- Roasted Vegetable, Feta, and Orzo Pasta Salad
- Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup
- Orzo with Parmesan and Basil
Sundried Tomato Boursin Baked Orzo
Sundried Tomato Boursin Baked Orzo is the kind of simple meal everyone needs. Made in a single dish, this orzo recipe comes together in a snap with a bunch of pantry staple ingredients. Serve it as a side dish to chicken, pork, or fish (serves 8) or as an entrée on its own (serves 6).
Ingredients
- 1 package (6 oz) garlic and herbs Boursin cheese
- 16 oz dry orzo pasta
- 4 oz sundried tomatoes in oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp oil from the sundried tomato jar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, baby arugula, or baby kale
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Small handful of fresh basil and/or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Unwrap the Boursin cheese from its wrapper and place the cheese in the center of a 13x9-inch casserole dish. Scatter the orzo around the cheese followed by the sundried tomatoes, garlic, dried herbs and spices, salt, and pepper. Pour the broth over the orzo - but not the cheese - and then drizzle in the sundried tomato oil and olive oil. Loosely cover the dish with a piece of foil.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Stir the cheese into the orzo. Mix the spinach, arugula, or kale into the cheesy pasta.
- Recover with foil and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until thickened and the orzo is cooked through. Stir in the parmesan cheese. If the orzo is too thick, stir in a couple of tablespoons of water to loosen up the sauce. Season to taste with salt and garnish with the chopped fresh herbs before serving.
Notes
loosely adapted from various and unknown viral Instagram videos
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 624mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 20g
This was SO good and so easy!
So great to hear this, Grace! Thank you for your review.
Made this and deliicoussssss!!! Paired with lemon chicken but next time
I think a herb salmon would go so yummy with this. The Sundried tomatoes were really good I will use my whole 8oz chopped level next time too
Great to hear how much you loved this orzo, Jenny! I agree – herbed salmon would be outstanding with it. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review!