Vegetarian One-Dish Orzo Bake with Mozzarella
A sheet pan pasta that is a delicious and easy one-pan recipe to make on a busy weeknight! All ingredients cook on the same sheet pan for easy clean up later.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 390kcal
Cost: $3
Equipment
- Tall Sheet Pan that is at least 2 inches tall
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces Diced Tomatoes
- 1 lemon sliced thin and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 16 ounces Dry Orzo Pasta or other small pasta shape of choice
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup fresh basil julienned
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella chopped into small cubes
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On a large sheet pan (make sure the sides are at least 2 inches high), toss the olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, lemon, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. When oven is heated, add the tomato mixture to the sheet pan in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
- Take the sheet pan out of the oven, and add the orzo and boiling water. Stir well so all ingredients are well combined. Cover sheet pan with aluminum foil, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil, and stir the orzo again, cook for an additional 5 minutes until the orzo has soaked up all the liquid.
- Preheat the broiler on high. Remove sheet pan from oven, and stir in the basil. Top with mozzarella cheese distributed evenly over the pasta. And add parmesan on top of that. Place sheet pan back in the oven, and broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the cheese!
- Dish up and top your bowl with any additional parmesan cheese as desired.
Video
Notes
Serving Suggestions
This orzo is great on its own and is a great meal in a bowl.
You can serve this with vegan sourdough focaccia bread, which is simple to make and also can bake in the oven at the same time as the orzo.
We also love serving this orzo with a salad. Try our stuffed date salad recipe, our cranberry kale pecan salad, and our favorite warm chickpea and arugula salad.
Tips for Baking Orzo
Make sure you have a tall enough sheet pan so it doesn't overflow and make a mess. This isn’t a "set it and forget it" sheet pan meal. It does involve taking the dish in and out of the oven a few times to stir and add ingredients at different stages of cooking.
This sheet pan pasta recipe got an A+ from me and the hubby, which is always great when I am trying a new recipe. To make vegan, just substitute a non-dairy cheese, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 573mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 328IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 1mg