This post is all about how to make a Creamy and Delicious Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta.

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Published February 20, 2021
Updated March 7, 2022
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This recipe has been a family favorite for more than 5 years. There was a time when I made it monthly! Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta is such a delicious, cheesy, creamy and easy recipe; a great way to get the littles to eat spinach. This past week I made it with butternut squash soup, and it was such a win that we did not have leftovers, even with making a double batch.

Cost Breakdown for Orzo Pasta

When making this dish, I use a 16-ounce box of orzo pasta as I double the recipe.
Here is the cost to make a double batch

16-ounce Orzo Pasta $1.19
Garlic $0.25
Spinach 1/2 bag $0.75
Parmesan 1/3 block $1.26
Butter $0.55
Chicken base $pennies, as I used 2 tsp of a 1-pound container

Total cost: $4.00 for a double batch.
below I list the ingredients to make a single batch, it would cost $2.00

Buying groceries on Amazon seems like a really convenient solution to avoiding stores, or when one is isolated. You order all of your essentials, pay online, get free delivery, shipping is fast, and voila – groceries! Honestly, with the last two years living in a pandemic our family has had groceries delivered multiple times to our home while we were in isolation. Check the website for pricing updates as the above prices were from a shopping trip to a local ALDI.

To buy a 5-oz package of Knorr rice side is $1.00 at Walmart. To get an equivalent amount for this dish you would need to buy 3.5 packages and 3.5 Tbsp butter at a cost of $4.00.
Homemade is 5-6 ingredients. Below is a screenshot of the back of one package of Knorr rice side dish.

The package has more than a dozen ingredients. Some of which are processed chemicals, anti-caking powders and preservatives. Making meals from scratch since 2015 has not been easy, it has been a trial and a huge learning experience. One thing I have loved is not giving our children processed foods and preservatives. And making sauces saves SO much money!

Looking at the ingredients list I was curious about some of them, so I did a quick internet search:
*Maltodextrin: is high on the glycemic index, meaning it can cause a spike in your blood sugar. It is safe to consume in very small amounts, but those with diabetes should be particularly careful. It is a polysaccharide that is used as a food additive and is produced from vegetable starch by partial hydrolysis and is usually found as a white hygroscopic spray-dried powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose and may be either moderately sweet or almost flavorless.

*Hydrolyzed Soy Protein: is made by breaking down large soy protein molecules into their smaller, constituent amino acids by a chemical process. Used as flavor enhancers, sources of vegetable protein and are even present as soy ingredients in cosmetics.

*Silicon Dioxide: also known as silica, is a natural compound made of two earth’s most abundant materials: silicon and oxygen. Most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major contributor of sand. It has been used in many food products as an anticaking agent.

Menu Planning

When making food from scratch, all to most of these ingredients are avoided. My husband and I are thankful that our finances allow me to stay home to make homemade deliciousness! With planning recipes, meal planning, grocery shopping, prepping food, cooking food and doing all of the other things… it is a wonder how anything else can get done in a day.

One day a week I do the grocery shopping, I try really hard to not go to stores more than once a week as I am a terrible impulse buyer and will spend more than our family needs to spend. Going with a list helps big time. Below are two documents that I had created a few years ago. Feel free to download them and make copies. I like to have mine on one sheet, with each on one side, so it makes a weekly meal planning and shopping as easy as possible.

Weekly Menu Planner is a great sheet to help you plan out your weekly meals. Next to the day, write what meal you will be having, and in the two lines provided list what specific foods you will need for each day. After you have your meals planned and the food written out check your pantry, fridge and freezer and see what you need to add to the Grocery List.

Grocery List is an awesome way to itemize your grocery shopping experience. It is separated by categories and provides a lot of space for each item you need to list. When you are shopping make sure you stick to your list. It seriously helps to stick to a budget and to only buy what you need. Every time you pick up an item, make sure to cross it off your Grocery List so you can keep track of what you need to put into your cart.

Tyler and I joke that we are raising our kids like a family out of the 1950’s. For real, it is funny to joke! I just wear sweats and not a dress!! As much as I joke about being a 1950’s housewife, for real this is exactly where I want to be, we do it because it works for our family. With one income and four kids, it has not always been easy. But, with weekly meal planning and a budget, it is possible!

Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

4 Tbsp butter
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
14-ounce water
2 tsp chicken base
1 Tbsp minced garlic
10-ounce spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions for Garlic Parmesan Orzo

1. In a large pan melt 2 Tbsp butter on medium heat.

2. Add 1 cup orzo and mix into butter. Cook until browned and stir often to prevent the orzo from burning.

3. Add 14-oz water and 2 tsp chicken base, OR 14-oz chicken stock and then bring to a boil.
It will bubble and steam so make sure to add the liquids slowly.

4. When the liquid begins to boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

5. In a sink colander, rinse the spinach and then roughly chop into small pieces. Set aside.

6. On a cutting board, peel, smash and then mince garlic. Set aside. Additionally, make sure the garlic is minced and does not have large chunks as it will blend better into the pasta.

7. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan on medium heat and then will be for the spinach to wilt.

8. Add garlic to the melted butter and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

9. Add chopped spinach to the garlic and sauté until wilted 2 to 5-minutes, stirring often.
Then turn off heat and let spinach sit in the pan on the heat. The spinach will reduce to less than a cup. Because the spinach will reduce in size, this pan does not have to be huge, so you can even have a saucepan or one with taller sides.

10. When orzo is cooked and not crunchy, add the spinach and stir until combined.

11. Using a box grater, then shred the parmesan cheese with a box grater and then set aside.

12. Finally, sprinkle the top of the Orzo Pasta with Parmesan cheese. If desired, cover with the lid and let the cheese melt before serving.

This post was all about how to make a Creamy and Delicious Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta.
~Monica

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