Description
A comforting one-pot dish featuring creamy ricotta-infused orzo, sautéed spinach, sweet caramelized onions, and crispy roasted chickpeas for a satisfying texture contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until crispy.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until caramelized. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil and minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add orzo and toast for 2 minutes, then pour in vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until orzo is tender.
- Stir in ricotta, Parmesan, and lemon juice until creamy. Fold in spinach and caramelized onions, cooking until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the orzo topped with crispy chickpeas and extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste.