Description
Discover a quick and hearty Ground Beef Orzo with Tomato Cream Sauce recipe. Ready in just 30 minutes, this delicious dish combines lean ground beef, tender orzo pasta, and a rich tomato cream sauce for a satisfying meal perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
½ medium onion, chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
¾ cup beef broth
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a soup pot or Dutch oven and break it up a little bit with your spoon. Let it cook, without stirring, over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the onion to the pot and stir/break the beef up into small pieces. Let it cook for another 5 minutes. If there’s a lot of excess fat (like if you didn’t use lean beef), spoon some of it out. Otherwise, leave it in the pot.
- Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Cook for about a minute.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth, cream, and Worcestershire sauce. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often (so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot). You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should gently bubble vs. boil (you don’t want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked).
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for about 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
Ensure the dish is gently bubbling rather than boiling to avoid reducing the liquid too quickly before the orzo cooks.
Freshly grated parmesan enhances the flavor better than pre-grated versions.
Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your preference. Adding more Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes can increase the dish’s flavor and heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 servings
