Orzo Risotto with Shrimp, Peas & Bacon

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Rice-shaped orzo is cooked like risotto in this easy, one-pot pasta dish.

Orzo risotto with shrimp, peas, and bacon in a Dutch oven.

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

orzo risotto ingredients

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.

adding bacon to pot

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.
Dutch oven of sizzling bacon.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion.

Onions cooking in a Dutch oven.Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Do not brown.

Dutch oven of onions and garlic.

Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.

toasting the orzo

Stir in the broth, salt, pepper, and Cajun/Creole seasoning and bring to a boil.
Boiling broth in a Dutch oven.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring once midway through, until the orzo is creamy and nearly tender, about 10 minutes.

Dutch oven of creamy orzo.

Stir the shrimp and peas into the orzo.

adding shrimp and peas to the pot

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.

adding the bacon and chives

Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then spoon into bowls and serve.

Dutch oven of orzo risotto with shrimp, peas, and bacon.

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Orzo Risotto with Shrimp, Peas & Bacon

Rice-shaped orzo is cooked like risotto in this easy, one-pot pasta dish.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • You’re a genius; best shrimp recipe EVER! Everyone loves it so much!

    • — Mary From Georgia
    • Reply
  • Très bonne recette! facile à faire.

    • — LYNN (QUÉBEC)
    • Reply
  • This is a winner. I made it with a few modifications. Eliminated the peas as neither of us are a big fan. I reduced the butter to make it a bit healthier. It still was rich, possibly because we make our own chicken stock which is richer than commercial. Also felt the Cajun seasoning and cheese added just enough salt, for our tastes at least. I loved that the shrimp could just be cooked in the orzo. Next time I may steep the shrimp shells in the stock for a bit before beginning.

  • Hi Jenn. What diameter of pot would you recommend to make a half order? I have a Dutch oven that looks smaller than yours, but I’m not sure how much smaller. Looking forward to trying it. I love this kind of thing.

    Jim

    • Hi Jim, I’d recommend a 3-1/2 to 4-quart pot or Dutch oven. Hope you enjoy!

  • Absolutely wonderful Jenn

  • Another winner, & perfect recipe, Jenn. So simple and a great weeknight recipe and the flavors, well, it was like a party in my mouth! Here is the best part, I had to pick someone up from the airport @ 8pm and then I wanted dinner on the table quickly after returning home. So, I prepared this dish up to the point of having toasted the Orzo. When I got back home from the airport, I microwaved the chicken broth while getting the pot with Orzo back up to temperature. Then, Viola, an awesome dinner on the plate in under 20 minutes from getting in the house. Aside from how well this worked out, practically speaking, the DISH IS PHENOMENAL. I added a little extra stock so it wouldn’t all absorb and the extra “gravy” was a nice touch. So flavorful.

    • — lawrence J schwarz
    • Reply
  • Risotto literally means rice. Interesting titling choice.

  • Good morning Jenn, wondering if I can use shallots instead of the onion. If so how much. Thanks in advance,

    • Sure, Arlene, and I’d use the same amount. Please LMK how it turns out!

  • This was fantastic, and easy to make with stuff I usually have on hand. Thank you!

  • Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!!!! I added steamed asparagus to the dish but otherwise followed the recipe as is! My son loved it and I’m sure it will be a staple moving forward since it was so tasty and easy!!! Thank you, Jenn!

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