Orzo with Spinach & Pine Nuts

This orzo dish cooks the rice-shaped pasta absorption-style, like risotto, rather than draining it. As the orzo simmers in just enough water to be fully absorbed, the starch creates a creamy, lightly thickened sauce that clings to every grain.

Garlic gets bloomed in melted butter first, infusing the cooking liquid before the orzo ever hits the pan. That early flavor infusion is the difference between flat-tasting orzo and something genuinely fragrant. Fresh spinach wilts into the hot pasta in seconds, so it stays bright green and tender rather than overcooked and dark.

The toasted pine nuts on top are a small detail with outsized impact. Their warm resinous flavor and crunchy contrast pull the whole dish into Mediterranean territory.

Pro Tips

• Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking frequently, they burn easily
• Use baby spinach for tender bites, mature spinach needs longer wilting
• Stir the orzo a few times during cooking to prevent sticking, like risotto but less constant
• Add a splash more water if it absorbs too fast, the texture should be slightly loose
• Grate Parmesan fresh, the pre-shredded stuff lacks the umami punch this simple dish needs

Variations

• Add a handful of halved cherry tomatoes with the spinach for sweet bursts
• Stir in cooked shrimp or chickpeas to make it a complete meal
• Substitute kale for spinach for heartier greens, adding it earlier to wilt fully