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Ground Beef Orzo with Tomato Cream Sauce

This one pot ground beef orzo recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and is a creamy, comforting, and delicious meal for busy weeknights!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 595 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
  • 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the ground beef to a soup pot/Dutch oven and break it up a little bit with your spoon. Let it cook, without stirring, over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes.
  2. Add the onion to the pot and stir/break the beef up into small pieces. Let it cook for another 5 minutes or so. If there's a lot of excess fat (like if you didn't use lean beef), spoon some of it out. Otherwise, leave it in the pot.
  3. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Cook for about a minute.
  4. Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth, cream, and Worcestershire sauce. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often (so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot). You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should gently bubble vs. boil (you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked).
  5. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for about 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately. See more troubleshooting tips in the blog post and notes below.

Notes

  • Serves 4-6 depending on portion size/what else it's served with.
  • Tomato sauce in North America is similar to passata in the U.K./Australia/etc.
  • As with any one pot pasta dish, the liquid quantities work as tested in my kitchen, but pots/stoves/temperatures can vary, so if you feel like it needs more liquid, add another splash of cream or broth. If it seems too liquidy, let it sit for a bit longer, and it'll soak any excess liquid up within a few minutes.

Nutrition Information

Calories 595kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 39g (13%) Protein 38g (76%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 19g (95%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 163mg (54%) Sodium 1010mg (42%) Potassium 1022mg (29%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 2899IU (58%) Vitamin C 13mg (14%) Calcium 239mg (24%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 595

% Daily Value*

Calories 595kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 39g 13%
Protein 38g 76%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 163mg 54%
Sodium 1010mg 42%
Potassium 1022mg 22%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 2899IU 58%
Vitamin C 13mg 14%
Calcium 239mg 24%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.