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:
Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stir in 3 ounces of reduced-fat cream cheese until melted.
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.
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.
Kids gobbled this right up without an issue, very cheesy and mouthwatering I liked it a lot.
Good with some cheesy garlic bread or black bread alongside some tasty wine haha!
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.
