Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

creamy and full of flavor

Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 4m
Cook Time: 30m
Total Time: 34m
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (25 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

271
calories
8g
fat
37g
carbohydrates
12g
protein
14mg
cholesterol
422mg
sodium
Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

Recipe Description

This Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo is absolutely bursting with flavor. The roasted garlic elevates the dish from tasty to mind-blowing! It’s a great recipe to feed a crowd and I usually serve this in the center of the table and let everyone help themselves. In this dish, I use Asiago cheese which is similar to Parmesan but is a bit nuttier and creamier. If you can’t get Asiago, substitute it with Parmesan.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is the roasted garlic so I start by peeling the outer skin from the garlic bulb and slicing the top so that the cloves are exposed. I drizzle the cloves with oil and wrap the bulb in foil before roasting in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Fry the orzo pasta lightly in oil before adding stock to rehydrate. Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve. Couldn’t be easier (or tastier!).

To make Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

Recipe Features

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Steps to make

  1. 1

    Heat the oven

    5 min

    Preheat the oven to 425 °F.

  2. 2

    Prepare the garlic

    2 min
    Step 2 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

    Remove the outer skin from the garlic bulb, but leave the skin on the cloves and make sure the cloves stay attached. Slice the top off the garlic bulb and expose the individual cloves. Drizzle the exposed cloves with a teaspoon of oil. Wrap the garlic bulb in foil.

  3. 3

    Roast the garlic

    30 min
    Step 3 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

    Roast the garlic in the oven for 30-35 minutes until cloves are soft. Unwrap the foil and when the cloves are cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic from skins.

  4. 4

    Brown orzo pasta

    2 min
    Step 4 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

    In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the orzo and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.

  5. 5

    Add stock and cook orzo

    10 min
    Step 5 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach OrzoStep 5 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

    Add 2 ½ cups of stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pan. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is tender and the liquid is completely absorbed.

  6. 6

    Add cream cheese

    1 min
    Step 6 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

    Stir in 3 ounces of reduced-fat cream cheese until melted.

  7. 7

    Add remaining ingredients

    2 min
    Step 7 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach OrzoStep 7 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

    Add the package of spinach, ¼ cup of Asiago cheese, ¼ cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of garlic pepper seasoning blend, ¼ teaspoon of salt and the squeezed roasted garlic. Cook while stirring until the spinach is wilted.

  8. 8

    Serve

    Step 8 - Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo

    Serve on a large serving plate sprinkled with 2 tablespoons of minced parsley.

This Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo recipe is a mind-blowingly tasty meat free dish. Try it out soon and don’t forget to come back here and leave a review for me.

About the author

Jelena Mardere

Jelena is an interior designer and young mom! As a busy working mom, her time is precious so she’s always looking for a quick and efficient way to get things done. Jelena is very creative, but has a strong practical side. She loves trying new things and travels a lot, especially around Europe. The kitchen is Jelena’s safe space, where she can let her creative side out and dedicate herself to her favorite hobby - cooking!

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (25 reviews)
Qiki
May 11, 2025
Verified

Super delicious orzo!

Alex
January 30, 2025
Verified

Incredible! This orzo recipe made dinner unforgettable with friends yesterday.

Jay
April 29, 2024
Verified

Absolutely loved it!

Tamara
December 13, 2023
Verified

Delicious! My family devoured this orzo in minutes!

Zachary Miller
October 4, 2023
Verified

Yo, this Creamy Roasted Garlic & Spinach Orzo is seriously amazing. Made it for our anniversary dinner, and my wife loved it. The roasted garlic is a game changer! I served it family style and everyone went for seconds. Can't believe how simple yet bomb this dish is.

Gigi
June 1, 2023
Verified

This orzo recipe was superb! I made it for a family gathering, and everyone loved it. The roasted garlic adds a great touch.

Bella
May 5, 2022
Verified

Amazing! I made this for my friends and they couldn't get enough!

Olive
August 14, 2021
Verified

I made this for our family dinner, and everyone loved it! So creamy and delish, it's a new fave in our home.

Andrew
April 28, 2021
Verified

I made this orzo for my friends last week and they couldn't get enough of it. The roasted garlic adds a rich flavor that was just amazing. I told them about my memories of cooking with my mom, and it brought back so many lovely moments. Thanks for a great recipe!

Annie
April 26, 2021
Verified

Delightfully creamy delight!

Vicky
December 2, 2020
Verified

Yummy!

Yvonne
October 8, 2020
Verified

So creamy delicious

Kathleen Deshong
April 24, 2020
Verified

Kids gobbled this right up without an issue, very cheesy and mouthwatering I liked it a lot.

Isabela Milsom
April 16, 2020
Verified

Good with some cheesy garlic bread or black bread alongside some tasty wine haha!

Paityn Jennewein
April 5, 2020
Verified

Can't say it was the best orzo meal cause the creamy sun dried tomato one still takes that spot but it was good too.

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