Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta

Lemon Chicken Orzo with spinach and creamy sauce in a skillet, served with wooden spoon.

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Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta is a one-pot wonder when you need a cozy meal with minimal cleanup. Chicken, pasta, and spinach smothered in a creamy sauce is a delicious one dish dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings (approximately 1 cup)

Calories: 650kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil divided, 2 tablespoons to cook the chicken and 1 tablespoon to cook to onion
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup sweet yellow (vidalia) onion diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2½ cups chicken broth
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves packed
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat a large (12 inch) heavy duty skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the boneless skinless chicken breast pieces to the hot skillet. Allow the chicken to cook, and brown, for 8-10 minutes or until no pink remains and the chicken pieces are lightly golden.
3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and place it onto a plate. Set aside.
To the hot skillet, with the chicken pieces removed, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, diced sweet yellow onion, minced garlic, dried thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook the onions for 1-2 minutes or until tender and translucent. Stir in the dijon mustard and cook for another 30 - 60 seconds.
1 cup sweet yellow (vidalia) onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
Add the chicken broth, heavy cream and orzo pasta to the skillet and stir to combine.
2½ cups chicken broth, ¾ cup heavy cream, 1 cup orzo pasta
Bring the liquids to a boil. Once the liquids come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the orzo pasta is cooked to al dente. The pasta will absorb the liquids as it cooks. Be sure to stir the pasta, and liquids, often to ensure the pasta is not sticking and the liquids are not burning.
Once the pasta is cooked, and the sauce has thickened, add the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, baby spinach leaves and shredded parmesan cheese to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until all the baby spinach leaves have wilted into the hot sauce.
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Add the reserved cooked chicken pieces to the skillet and stir to combine.
Turn off the heat to the skillet before serving. The sauce will thicken slightly once removed from the heat and the sauce starts to cool.

Notes

Storage :

To Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish as the texture of the cooked pasta, spinach and sauce will not have the same consistency as it will when made fresh.
To Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through.

Tips :

The pasta will absorb the liquids as it cooks. Be sure to stir the pasta and liquids often to ensure the pasta is not sticking and the liquids are not burning.
Before adding the fresh baby spinach leaves, be sure to remove any large stems from the leaves. You can also use regular fresh spinach leaves however, they may be quite large so you should give them a rough chop before adding them to the skillet.
I find that freshly shredded parmesan cheese melts the best when heated in the sauce. If buying prepackaged shredded parmesan cheese, choose a brand that does not add other ingredients (for anti-caking or sticking) into the package. I find that the additives in prepackaged shredded cheeses do not allow the cheese to melt as smoothly.

Nutrition