One Pan Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Shrimp
Updated Nov 24, 2025
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My favorite type of recipe is one that all cooks in one pan and that definitely includes this One Pan Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Shrimp. I love cooking, but I HATE doing dishes so it's perfect. This particular recipe hardly has any prep so you there won't be a bunch of bowls, cutting boards, etc. to clean up either! I love one pan orzo dishes because the orzo toasts up so nicely and then becomes perfectly al dente as it cooks in a flavorful chicken broth mixture. Mix in spinach or greens of your choice to have a complete dinner ready in about 30 minutes and all in one pan.
Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Shrimp Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 lb Shrimp large, uncooked, tail-off
- 1 tsp Salt regular or seasoned salt; I used the Momofuku spicy seasoned salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper divided
- 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6-8 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 cups Orzo uncooked
- 2 cups Chicken broth I used water and mixed with roasted chicken low sodium better than bouillon base
- 3/4 cup Half and Half
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne more or less to taste
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 5 oz Baby Spinach
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated; plus more to serve
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice more or less to taste
Recipe Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry. Season generously on both sides with seasoned salt and black pepper.
- Heat butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes a side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add olive oil to the same pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add uncooked orzo and salt & pepper to taste. Toast for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and half & half. Add cayenne, basil, and onion powder. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cover. Stir every few minutes so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more water or chicken broth as needed. Continue until orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. About 10-15 minutes.
- Once the orzo is cooked, stir in parmesan and baby spinach. Combine until the cheese is melted and the spinach wilts.
- Stir in lemon juice and serve with the shrimp on top and extra lemon and parmesan cheese as desired.
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One Pan Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Shrimp
Equipment
- Pan I used my Our Place Always Pan for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 lb Shrimp, large, uncooked, tail-off
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, regular or seasoned salt; I used the Momofuku spicy seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, divided
- 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6-8 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 cups Orzo Pasta, uncooked
- 2 cups Chicken broth, I used water and mixed with roasted chicken low sodium better than bouillon base
- 3/4 cup Half and Half
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 5 oz Baby Spinach
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated; plus more to serve
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry. Season generously on both sides with seasoned salt and black pepper.
- Heat butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes a side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add olive oil to the same pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add uncooked orzo and salt & pepper to taste. Toast for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and half & half. Add cayenne, basil, and onion powder. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cover. Stir every few minutes so the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more water or chicken broth as needed. Continue until orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. About 10-15 minutes.
- Once the orzo is cooked, stir in parmesan and baby spinach. Combine until the cheese is melted and the spinach wilts.
- Stir in lemon juice and serve with the shrimp on top and extra lemon and parmesan cheese as desired.
Video
@carolbeecooks One pan orzo dinners are the best dinners. Full video/recipe coming soon! #orzotiktok #orzo #onepan #onepanmeal #pastatok #shrimp
♬ NICKI FAN X MONSTER BY ALTEGOMUSIC - ALTÉGO
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So tasty! Thanks for sharing!
I have made this dish several times with different recipes. This one is solid. I didn’t have to adjust it for seasoning, but it was a tad on the salty side. That may have been on me, since I love parmesan, I didn’t measure , just threw in a handful. Otherwise, made it as written.
Thanks for trying out the recipe and leaving a review!
Hello!!! I tried your orzo and shrimp recipe….it was ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!! My husband is hooked!! Thank you for sharing your recipes….I will continue to try so many more!!
So glad to have recently discovered your recipes! We tried the Parmesan Orzo with Shrimp a few nights ago, and “restaurant quality” were the words that kept coming up. Delicious! I was about half-way through the Orzo cooking process before I realized that I was essentially making an Orzo Risotto (Orzotto?). Not sure if it was the brand of Orzo I used, but it needed about double the amount of liquid suggested in the recipe, and a lot more stirring too. No matter, the end result was outstanding!
Amazing!!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed!