Orzo Risotto with Shrimp, Peas & Bacon
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Rice-shaped orzo is cooked like risotto in this easy, one-pot pasta dish.
In this easy one-pot recipe, rice-shaped orzo pasta is cooked like risotto, an Italian dish of rice slowly cooked in broth with other ingredients like meat, seafood, and vegetables. However, unlike traditional risotto, orzo “risotto” doesn’t require constant tending to and stirring – all of the broth is added at once and the pasta cooks almost unattended. My starting point for the recipe was a simple shrimp and orzo risotto from The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen, but I added crispy bacon, peas, and Creole seasoning to amp up the flavor and give the dish a little Southern flair.
What You’ll Need To Make Orzo Risotto with Shrimp, Peas & Bacon
Step-by-Step Instructions
Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and add the bacon.
Cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion.
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown.
Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the broth, salt, pepper, and Cajun/Creole seasoning and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring once midway through, until the orzo is creamy and nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir the shrimp and peas into the orzo.
Cover and cook over low heat until the shrimp are opaque throughout and the orzo is tender, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice, and chives. Right before serving, stir in the crispy bacon.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then spoon into bowls and serve.
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Orzo Risotto with Shrimp, Peas & Bacon
Rice-shaped orzo is cooked like risotto in this easy, one-pot pasta dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 5 slices (5 oz) bacon, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups orzo
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Heaping ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, such as Emeril's Essence
- 2 pounds extra-large (21/25) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown. Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, salt, pepper, and Cajun/Creole seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring once midway through, until the orzo is nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir the shrimp and peas into the orzo (it will be quite creamy/brothy at this point; that's normal). Cover and cook over low heat until the shrimp are opaque throughout and the orzo is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice, and chives. Right before serving, stir in the crispy bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then spoon into bowls and serve.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 639
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 49 g
- Sodium: 1,868 mg
- Cholesterol: 322 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Do you think one could sub some other vegetable? Okra maybe? Not a fan of peas. TIA.
Sure, Michael – depending on which vegetable you use (and whether it is fresh or frozen), you may need to add it a bit earlier in the cooking process so it cooks through.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and everyone loved it! It will be a family favorite for years to come! I really appreciate the wonderful recipes you post!
Thanks Jen!!
I was excited to make this and have had such great luck with most of Jen’s recipes. Smelled great, but family just did not love it. Won’t be making this one again.
I made this today with Trader Joe’s Israeli couscous mix instead of orzo and it was delicious. Just happened to have most of the ingredients so with a few improvisations I didn’t need to go shopping.
This was so delicious .. already have visions of serving to friends and family … perhaps add mussels.. chorizo …. yumm
Thank you Jenn
My husband and I don’t eat pork, chicken or beef. Would skipping the bacon drastically alter the flavor of this recipe? Or can I add additional seasoning to compensate? Other than that, it sounds delicious!
Hi Sue, It will still be delicious without the bacon. You’ll need an additional tablespoon of butter in the beginning to cook the onions and garlic; you’ll also need to increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Dear Sue,
Personally, I would replace the butter and bacon for your very best Olive Oil for sautéing the onion and garlic, you will not have the smokyness that the bacon imparts but I feel this isn’t not what first attracted you to the recipe. I would recommend using Vegetable boullion powder, frozen petite peas and then tossing everything with lemon juice and chopped parsley just before serving.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Sure, Paula – that’s what I use (but defrost it first).
This recipe sounds great! I have cooked frozen shrimp in my freezer. Can I use that instead of uncooked?
Hi Jane, I think you could get away with that here, but I’d put them in the pot for just the few minutes or so (so about 3 minutes after you add the peas) just so they can get heated through. Otherwise, they’ll be overcooked. Please LMK how it turns out!
Jenn – the pre-cooked frozen shrimp work just fine! I defrosted the cooked shrimp in cold water, rinsed and added during the last minute as you suggested. Another great and easy weeknight recipe..thanks!
So glad it worked out — thanks for the follow-up!
Can this recipe be easily doubled?
Sure, that should be fine as long as your pot is big enough. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi Jenn – OK to just halve everything?
Thanks. Chuck
Sure, Chuck, that should be fine, but you may want to go with a smaller pot. Hope you enjoy!
I love your recipes and have made many of your delicious dishes!! Question- could I substitute Old Bay for Cajun spices? Not a huge fan of cayenne pepper and wondering what a good substitute would be. Thanks!!
Hi Kathy, I do think Old Bay would be good here; I would add it to taste at the end to be sure you like it. Enjoy!
OMG!! Made this tonight and it was spectacular!! Thank you Jenn!!
Hello Jenn,
I love your recipes. My children don’t eat shrimp. Can I substitute shrimp with salmon or chicken?
Sure, Louise – I would cook the salmon or chicken separately and add it at the end.
This recipe looks wonderful and happily, I actually have all the ingredients on hand. Just want to confirm: the weight for the shrimp before removing the shells, right? One of those questions I seem to rethink every time I make a shrimp dish!
Yes, that’s correct. 🙂
Thanks for asking that question, Karen!