One Pot Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chicken

This chicken recipe, One Pot Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chicken, leans on olive oil, finely diced onion and garlic. It makes 6 servings and takes about 35 minutes.

• Yield 6 servings
• Ready in 35 minutes
• Prep 20 minutes
• Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1 1/2 cups (10 ounces) uncooked orzo
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk (preferably not skim)
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons - zest them before juicing, the zest will be used later)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
• 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
• 2 to 3 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

Instructions

1. In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
2. Add the orzo and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the broth, milk, cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer (not a hard boil), stirring often, for 9 to 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente. There will still be liquid in the pan - this helps create the sauce for the pasta.
5. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (important!).
6. Stir in the chicken, spinach and lemon zest. Heat through over medium-low heat, if needed.
7. Serve warm with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. The pasta will thicken as it cools and is best served as soon as possible for optimal creaminess.

Give it a minute off the heat, then serve it while it is still hot.