Chicken sun-dried tomato orzo is a quick and easy one-skillet dinner full of flavor. Rich and creamy, this pasta dish is also full of colorful veggies. A complete meal that is ready in about 30 minutes!
I really appreciate a dinner like this on a busy work night. Orzo pasta has become a real go-to for me. It cooks in about 8 minutes. I especially like it for one-skillet dinners, so it absorbs all the flavors while it cooks.
Ingredients
Chicken Breast: I use one medium to large chicken breast for the two of us. Chicken thighs would also work well.
Onion & Garlic: The flavor base for so many delicious recipes.
Rosemary & Thyme: Rosemary and thyme pair so beautifully with chicken.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Available either oil-packed in a jar or packaged dry. I may be in the minority, but I prefer the dry-packaged ones. They plump up and rehydrate a bit as the sauce simmers.
Low Sodium Chicken Stock: The liquid base that allows the orzo pasta to cook right in the skillet.
Orzo: This tiny pasta resembles rice and cooks quickly, making it perfect for a one-skillet pasta dinner.
Zucchini: Shredded zucchini adds moisture and creaminess to the dish. Zucchini makes these meatballs tender and delicious. It is such a versatile veggie!
Baby Spinach: One of my favorite foods, spinach adds a great pop of color.
Half & Half: Makes the dish creamy and delicious.
Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan is a great addition to many recipes and just about every pasta dish.
Instructions
I like to use a nonstick skillet for this recipe.
Heat up the skillet with olive oil and add the chicken. While the chicken sautés you can start collecting and prepping the rest of the ingredients. Multi-tasking. 🙂
Once the chicken is browned, you can start adding your onion, garlic, and spices. There is no need to let the chicken cook completely as it will get plenty of time to cook while the orzo cooks.
Add the tomatoes, followed by orzo and shredded zucchini. Give the whole mixture a good stir and allow it to simmer while the orzo cooks. Once the orzo is tender, add spinach. Cook for a couple of minutes while the spinach wilts. Finally, add half & half and parm.
Stir the whole luscious mixture together and serve immediately.
I like to serve chicken sun-dried tomato orzo with a simple green veggie like roasted broccoli or green beans.
Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp thyme
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
- ½ cup dry orzo pasta
- ½ cup zucchini shredded
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
- ¼ cup half & half
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet set over medium heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Brown the chicken over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, oregano, and thyme, and cook until fragrant, 3 minutes. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes.
- Pour in the stock. Add the orzo and shredded zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes until the orzo is tender. Mix in the spinach and half & half. Sprinkle in the parmesan.
- Stir until creamy, then remove from the heat. Serve immediately