One Pan Salmon Orzo Pasta

This One Pan Salmon Orzo Pasta with asparagus and tomatoes is the perfect weeknight meal.  Packed with flavor, but without the fuss or heavy cream, this delightful one-pan dinner is one you will make again and again.

If you love easy salmon dinners, try my Salmon Alfredo, Salmon Pesto Pasta, and Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon with Peach Salsa.

Salmon Orzo Pasta

This One Pan Salmon Orzo Pasta is such a delicious meal for busy weeknights.  The flavors in this dish are incredible, from the bright, lemony, creamy orzo to the seasoned salmon, delicious tomatoes, and asparagus.  When cooked this way, the orzo is creamy like risotto. Plus, it comes in at just over 500 calories and 46 grams of protein.

The creamy orzo is simply baked rather than boiled to create a base for the tomatoes, asparagus, and perfectly seasoned salmon.  The entire meal, including a protein, starch, and vegetables, comes together in just one pan, in about 40 minutes, most of which is hands-off cooking time.   Many creamy orzo pastas are made with heavy cream, but this one uses low-fat milk to keep the dish light and healthy for weeknights.

I often make this Salmon Orzo Pasta for family dinners, and we all truly love the flavors together, including the twins.  I love that this is baked in the oven, so you aren't fussing over a stove to get dinner done.  I'm often multitasking with the boys during dinner, so these are my favorite types of meals.  This is ohhh so delicious.

Why You'll Love This One-Pan Salmon Orzo Pasta Recipe...

• This One-Pan Salmon Orzo Pasta cooks in a single baking dish, including the orzo.  No need to boil a pot of pasta for this one!
• The salmon and vegetables are cooked in the same pan.
• It's creamy but uses light milk instead of heavy cream.
• It makes a complete meal with sides.
• You can customize the dish with different vegetables.

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Salmon Orzo Pasta, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

• Salmon Fillets: You'll need about 6 ounces of 1-inch-thick salmon filets.  I like to use Atlantic Salmon because it has a higher fat content and cooks nicely without drying out.  You can get the kind with the skin removed for this dish since the fish is cooking on top of the orzo pasta.  You can also use wild-caught salmon, but it is often thinner and will need a little less time to cook.  Thaw out your salmon before cooking it.
• Orzo Pasta: You will need one 16-ounce box of orzo pasta.  Orzo is small, like rice grains, but it is actually a pasta and cooks the same way as rice in boiling water or with liquid in a casserole dish like this.
• Vegetable Broth: To keep this lighter, I use a combination of vegetable stock and milk to cook the orzo in.  If you aren't a vegetarian or pescatarian, you can use chicken stock.
• Milk: A small amount of milk makes this dish creamy.  I tested with low-fat, but you can use your favorite kind
• Lemon: Fresh lemon and lemon zest bring out the salmon's flavors.
• Garlic: I use a hearty helping of garlic from fresh garlic cloves to make this dish extra rich.  You can substitute garlic powder if you don't have that.
• Italian Seasoning: My Homemade Italian Seasoning is perfect with this.  Use store-bought or make your own Homemade Italian Seasoning with my recipe.  It's made with basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.  Other spices like Herbs de Provence can work.
• Cherry Tomatoes: You need about 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes.
• Asparagus: You'll need a bundle of asparagus.  If you can find it at the grocery store, the smaller spears have a better flavor.  Asparagus can be found year-round, but has the best flavor in spring to early summer.  To prepare the asparagus, you will need to watch it and remove the tough woody end.  To figure out where that is, take the stalk and bend it. It will naturally break off the woody section, leaving you with the tender part.  From there, you can line up the rest of your bunch and cut them all evenly.
• Salt & Black Pepper
• Extras: parmesan cheese, feta cheese, fresh herbs like parsley or dill, lemon slices or lemon wedges.

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make this Salmon Orzo Pasta, but the full, detailed, printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a large baking dish (11x8) with cooking spray.
2. Add the orzo, broth, milk, lemon zest, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
4. While the orzo is cooking, prep the fish by seasoning it with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
5. Remove the dish from the oven and stir in the tomatoes and asparagus to the orzo. Put the salmon on top of the orzo mixture.
6. Cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes.

Variations

I love this Salmon Orzo Pasta recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.

• Mix Up the Veggies: You can add different quick-cooking vegetables like green peas, zucchini,  diced onion, chopped green beans, small broccoli florets, fresh spinach, kale, or arugula.  Just make sure they can all cook in about the same amount of time.
• Make it Spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Make it Cheesy: Add some Parmesan or crumbled feta.
• Add More Flavor: You can also add a splash of white wine, a touch of Dijon mustard, or a pinch of butter to enhance the flavor.

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.  When reheating, add a touch more broth or water to the orzo to bring it back to life.

If you make this Salmon Orzo Pasta, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Salmon Orzo

Julie Wunder

This One Pan Salmon Orzo Pasta with asparagus and tomatoes is the perfect weeknight meal.  Packed with flavor, but without the fuss or heavy cream, this delightful one-pan dinner is one you will make again and again.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4

Calories 511 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups orzo pasta
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• ⅔ cups milk
• 1 lemon, juice & zest1
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2" pieces
• 4 salmon fillets, approx 6 ounces each
• salt & pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a large baking dish (11x8) with cooking spray.
• Add the orzo, broth, milk, lemon zest, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
• While the orzo is cooking, prep the fish by seasoning it with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Remove the dish from the oven and stir in the tomatoes and asparagus to the orzo. Put the salmon on top of the orzo mixture.
• Cook for another 10-12 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes.

Notes

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.  When reheating, add a touch more broth or water to the orzo to bring it back to life.

Freezing

I would not freeze the leftovers of this.

Nutrition

Calories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 46gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 1382mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1198IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 5mg

Keyword Salmon Orzo Pasta, Salmon Orzo Recipe

Tried this recipe?Mention @Julie_Wunder or tag #RunninginaSkirt!

Pin for Later: