Description
A creamy, hearty 30-minute weeknight dinner — browned beef, tender orzo, and a glossy parmesan finish, all in one pan.
Ingredients
| 1 lb | lean ground beef (85/15) |
| 1 cup | orzo pasta |
| 1 medium | yellow onion, finely diced |
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 2 tbsp | tomato paste (double concentrated preferred) |
| 2 cups | beef broth (or chicken) |
| 1 tsp | smoked paprika |
| 1 tsp | Italian seasoning |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| ½ cup | parmesan, freshly grated |
| to taste | salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| optional | fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, lemon juice |
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion 4 min until translucent, then add garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef. Break apart and brown 6–7 min. Season with salt and pepper. Drain excess grease.
- Push beef aside. Add tomato paste, paprika, Italian seasoning. Bloom 1 min until fragrant and slightly darkened, then stir into beef.
- Pour in orzo and broth. Bring to a boil, scraping browned bits. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer 11–12 min. Stir at halfway.
- Remove from heat. Rest 2 min. Stir in parmesan until melted and creamy. Top with herbs and serve immediately.
Notes
- Bloom the tomato paste — that one minute is what makes this taste slow-cooked.
- Grate parmesan from a wedge. Pre-shredded won’t melt smoothly.
- Pull off the heat just before it looks done. Orzo keeps cooking from residual heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (250g)
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: For added nutrition, consider incorporating vegetables like spinach or bell peppers. You can swap ground beef for chicken or turkey if desired.