This weeknight-friendly vegan baked orzo is packed with Greek flavors. Ready to eat in just 40 minutes.

In the realm of weeknight-friendly ingredients, orzo – the elongated rice-shaped pasta – reigns supreme. It’s quick-cooking and versatile, and the soft, silky texture is just the kind of comfort I crave after a long day. It has the cozy, porridge-y texture of risotto, but with way less effort.
Although probably quite inauthentic, this recipe is inspired by a tomato baked orzo I had at a Greek restaurant in Queens. This vegan version is packed with Mediterranean flavors like olives, chickpeas, and basil.
The best part is this vegan orzo bake practically cooks itself (well, once it’s in the oven, that is), so you can make it between loads of laundry, cleaning dishes, or helping with homework.
The Recipe at a Glance
This Greek orzo bake starts with sautéed shallots, bell peppers, and shiitake mushrooms. Once they’re golden brown, you combine them with garlic, tomato sauce, broth, chickpeas, orzo, and spinach. After the mixture comes to a boil on the stovetop, you transfer it to the oven for about 15 minutes. Lastly, you stir in kalamata olives and basil.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Orzo: Although it’s shaped like long rice, orzo is not a grain but rather a shape of pasta. It cooks and tastes like pasta, and can be found in the pasta aisle of most stores.
- Shiitake Mushrooms: Give the casserole a really delicious “meaty” flavor – don’t skip them! If you can’t find shiitake, cremini will do.
- Shallots: Can be substituted with a small red onion.
- Broth: You can use any store-bought broth you have here (or make your own from veggie scraps!). You can also use Yondu or Better Than Bouillon diluted in water, or plain water.
- Canned Tomato Sauce: If you have some leftover marinara, that’ll work too. (If you wanna substitute with tomato paste, use 2 tablespoons and add it in step 3, and compensate with an extra cup of broth in step 4.)
- Chickpeas: Add protein to this vegan dish. Can be subbed with white beans.
- Spinach: Can be subbed with stemmed and chopped curly kale.
- Kalamata Olives: Round out all the other flavors with a salty bite and “meaty” texture. Feel free to sub with green olives or even capers. (If subbing in capers, use just 2 tablespoons.)
How to Make Vegan Baked Orzo
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Sauté the Vegetables
In a large high-sided oven-safe pan (or Dutch oven), sauté the shallots, peppers, and mushrooms until they’re soft and starting to become golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chili flakes at the end.
(I love my Caraway Sauté Pan for this because it’s spacious and can go directly from stovetop to oven.)
Step 2: Add the Casserole Ingredients
Next, stir in the broth, tomato sauce, chickpeas, and orzo. Bring to a simmer.
Step 3: Stir in the Spinach + Bake
Add the spinach and stir just until it’s incorporated into the mixture. You don’t have to wait for it to fully wilt at this point; it will finish cooking in the oven. Then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Finish the Casserole
Add the olives and basil, and carefully stir into the hot casserole. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Making Baked Orzo in Advance
This baked Greek orzo reheats well the next day (the leftovers are perfect for lunch), so you can certainly use this recipe for meal prep.
FAQ’s
No. Like stated above, orzo is a pasta, not a grain – so it does not need to be rinsed.
Absolutely! Cook the dish in whatever large skillet you have through step 4. Then carefully transfer the mixture to any oven-safe dish you have – like a pie plate, Pyrex dish, or something similar. Don’t bake this in a cast iron skillet because the acid in the tomatoes can cause a chemical reaction with the metal.
More Weeknight Dinners…
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
PrintVegan Greek Baked Orzo
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This weeknight-friendly vegan baked orzo is packed with Greek flavors. Ready to eat in just 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced* (see note below)
- 1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 1/2 cups mushroom or vegetable broth*
- One 15-ounce can chickpeas or white beans, drained and rinsed
- One 8-ounce can tomato sauce*
- 1 cup orzo
- About 2 cups baby spinach
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 1/4 cup chopped basil (or parsley)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet* over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, bell pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add the garlic and chili flakes, and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add the broth, chickpeas, tomato sauce, orzo, and lots of black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Then add spinach and stir until it’s mostly covered by the liquid.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the orzo is cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Add the olives and herbs, and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. Serve warm.
Notes
- Shallots can be substituted with red onion.
- Instead of broth, you can use Yondu or Better Than Bouillon diluted in water – or just plain water.
- If you have some leftover marinara, you can use it instead of tomato sauce. (If you wanna substitute with tomato paste, use 2 tablespoons and add it in step 3, and compensate with an extra cup of broth in step 4.)
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, cook the dish in any large skillet through step 4. Then carefully transfer the mixture to any oven-safe dish you have – like a pie plate or Pyrex dish. Don’t bake this in a cast iron skillet because the acid in the tomatoes can cause a chemical reaction with the metal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 300
- Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 9 g
Sofya says
This recipe was super easy to follow and the resulting dish was absolutely delicious. It’s very well balanced with Mediterranean flavors + the olives give it a fun saltiness.
Alexandra Shytsman says
Woo! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Sofya. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂