Spinach Garlic Parmesan Orzo with Crispy Bacon

Name: Spinach Garlic Parmesan Orzo with Crispy Bacon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 lices Bacon; 10 ounces uncooked orzo pasta (about 1 2/3 cup uncooked orzo); 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, after pasta is done boiling; 1 tablespoon butter; 3 cloves garlic, finely minced; ½ cup shredded carrots (or carrots cut into matchsticks); 2/3 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn; 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks; 1 (5 ounce) package organic spinach; 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, plus more if desired; Freshly ground salt and pepper; To garnish: Fresh flat-leaf parsley + extra parmesan cheese, corn and bacon on top

User Reviews

5.0

132 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
4 servings
Calories
436 kcal
Course
Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine
American

Spinach Garlic Parmesan Orzo with Crispy Bacon

Stella Guerrero

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Easy, flavorful spinach garlic parmesan orzo pasta with crispy bacon and gorgeous veggies like red bell pepper, corn, carrots, and spinach. This creamy garlic parmesan orzo recipe comes together in 30-minutes, is the perfect meal prep dinner, and is delicious hot or cold!

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Ingredients

Servings

8 lices Bacon
10 ounces uncooked orzo pasta (about 1 2/3 cup uncooked orzo)
1/2 cup reserved pasta water, after pasta is done boiling
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ cup shredded carrots (or carrots cut into matchsticks)
2/3 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn
1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 (5 ounce) package organic spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, plus more if desired
Freshly ground salt and pepper
To garnish: Fresh flat-leaf parsley + extra parmesan cheese, corn and bacon on top

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Instructions

Add bacon to a large skillet or pan and place over medium heat, cook bacon on both sides until crispy and golden brown. If the pan starts to smoke at any point, simply lower the heat. I always cook my bacon on medium low heat. Once bacon is done, blot with a paper towel to absorb excess grease, then chop into bite sized pieces and set aside.
While the bacon is cooking, place a large pot of water over high heat and add in a generous amount of salt. Once water boils, stir in the orzo and cook until al dente about 7-9 minutes. Once orzo is done cooking, drain pasta and set aside in the colander. Make sure to reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
Next add 1 tablespoon butter to the same pot you cooked the pasta in and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add in minced garlic, carrot, corn, red bell pepper and saute for 2 minutes.
Next add in spinach; cooking until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked orzo back into the pot and turn the heat to low. Stir in the reserved pasta water, parmesan, garlic powder and red chili pepper flakes.
Finally, stir in bacon crumbles. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like to add A LOT of black pepper into this dish -- it just gives it a really nice flavor! If you think it needs a little extra parmesan cheese, feel free to stir in 1/4 cup more. Enjoy. Serves 4.

Notes

To swap the bacon: you can easily use 4 chicken sausages instead; just slice into rounds, saute in pan, then stir into pasta like you would the bacon.
To make vegetarian: I think a can of rinsed and drained white beans or even roasted, crunchy chickpeas would be a really nice option.
Feel free to use a different pasta, such as orecchiette or angel hair pasta. I prefer orzo because it keeps the pasta nice and creamy. Feel free to add in more veggies.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1serving Calories 436cal (22%) Carbohydrates 62.7g (21%) Protein 20.2g (40%) Fat 13.3g (20%) Saturated Fat 6.2g (31%) Fiber 4.5g (18%) Sugar 2.6g (5%)