One Pan Creamy Lemon Feta Zucchini Orzo
All my favorite Greek flavors in one unique and simple dish.
Zucchini season is finally upon us and I couldn’t be more excited. This one pan orzo dish is the perfect way to use up that zucchini in your kitchen – its so easy to make in under 20 minutes. All of the ingredients are very basic but the come together to form an incredible dish.
You can serve this with grilled fish or chicken. Or you can meal prep this for the week’s lunches. I eat it cold right out of the fridge and LOVE IT. I highly recommend the extra drizzle of a good olive oil when you serve this – it really makes the dish!
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Creamy Lemon Feta Zucchini Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced (large shallot)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb orzo pasta uncooked
- 2 medium zucchini, grated
- 1 large lemon, zested + juiced
- 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
- salt and peppe to taste
- 3½ cups low sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth)
- 1 cup milk
- 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbs fresh dill, chopped
Optional Garnish: olive oil, lemon juice, chili flakes + dill
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat your olive oil on medium. Add in the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the orzo and stir for one minute to coat. Toss in the zucchini shreds and stir for 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender. If it needs more liquid, add some broth in to keep the texture creamy, not dry.
- When the pan is off the heat, stir in your crumbled feta and dill.
- To serve, top with a nice drizzle of olive oil, chili flakes and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 1mg
Love orzo and can’t wait to try this! Can I sub the milk with Greek yogurt, as I never have milk in my fridge.
Just made this for dinner. It was so easy and delicious. I can’t believe I made something that tastes so good! I used yellow squash and cream since those are what I had on hand and it turned out perfect! You always have the easiest most delicious recipes. Thank you for sharing them!
Hi Jenna, That makes me so happy – I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for the kind review !!
Hi Jenna, that’s so awesome! Glad you tried it and liked it!!
This looks so good but I can’t do milk, do you think I can just sub more Chicken broth? I know it won’t be the same!
Hi Steph, absolutely go for the chicken broth and don’t worry, the feta will make it creammy.!
Just made this in 15 minutes during my lunch break, working from home.
My gosh, it’s so good. and SO EASY!
I added extra zuc, just because I knew I could hide it … lol
The kids are already prowling around the kitchen, wondering when it’s time for dinner!
Hi Lindsay! YES! I know its so quick and easy!!Glad you enjoyed it!
hi! am i supposed to put in raw orzo uncooked?
Yes, it cooks in the pan.
Lacking flavor. I used 6 garlic instead of 4 and still was lacking flavor. Added more salt but still missing something. My husband and I really wanted to like this dish. Followed everything to the letter.
Hi Lisa, im sorry the recipe didn’t work for you!
You obviously have ruined your taste buds with your basic bitch cooking. please don’t bother to ruin some ones day by posting your pathetic dribble
Have a lovely day 🙂
Dude it’s a recipe, take it down a notch….
wow you sound unhinged.
It is so flavorful and SO good!
Hi Carissa, I agree! lol Glad you liked the dish!
This was amazing! Moving to the A list and super easy to make during a weekday. Put some shrimp with it and a great weeknight meal.
Hi Rachel, Perfect pairing with shrimp!
So so delicious … thank you for introducing me to this beautiful sublet yummy flavour
I did it with quinoa for additional nutrition… did one cup quinoa for 1+3/4 c water
Did sour cream instead of milk when it was finished cos .. well why not ? 🙂
Amazing amazing
Whoever doesn’t think it’s a good enuf recipe has to upgrade the quality of their feta … cos that makes all the difference.. make sure it’s sheep feta and if good quality.
Thank you !!
Hi Neomi, this message makes me smile! Thanks for sharing your feedback and recipe suggestionds!
did you cook quinoa before adding or just add it like the recipe says?
wondering if I can sub the orzo for another smaller gluten free pasta? was unable to find any gluten free orzo!
Absolutely! Any small tiny pasta works here🥰
I used risotto & it was awesoms
10/10. Didn’t have any dill but still tasted so good.
Hi Caitlin, thank you for trying it !
Amazing!!
Hi Michelle, glad you enjoyed!
🤯 so so good!! I added everything including the red chili flakes. 🤣
Hi Monica, glad it was a winner for you! Thanks for the kind rating!
Just made this last night! I do think the recipe calls for a weeee too much liquid…you can definitely cut out a cup of the broth, or maybe sub the milk for a bit of heavy cream instead. I ended up draining some of it out when the orzo was fully cooked. I also added spinach and only used 1 zucchini. Great side dish for salmon or chicken!
Hi Clarissa, Thanks so much for trying this orzo dish out and I’m glad it ended up workin out for you! Cheers!
What olive oil do you prefer/use. I have not found one that I really like, let alone love, since I was a child
Hi Helen, I love the quality of Kyoord olive oil – I will link them below:
http://shorturl.at/iotW2
Made this today. Excellent. So much flavour. I had dentil surgery today and this was so soft to eat. Comfort food
Thank you.
Hi Christina, hope you’re feeling better and I wish you a speedy recovery! Glad you liked the orzo dish!
I only had half and half and it came out extra creamy and delicious. I served it with some sautéed shrimp. great recipe.
Hi Ryan, glad you enjoyed the dish with some shrimp – sounds delicious with the half and half too! Thanks for the rating!
Very tasty! I’ll be making this over and over again! Thank you! We loved it!
I used my frozen zucchini and was afraid it would be too watery. Nope, it was perfect. This recipe is fantastic and will be a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Turned out excellent. I had smaller lemons so I zested and juiced 2 of them.
Hi Krista, glad you enjoyed the dish! And I appreciate you taking the time to rate it too!
Just a question – can I save the extras and reheat the next day?
Hi Esther – absolutely! I enjoyed mine for many days after!!
This was brilliant! Used what I had on hand & swapped the orzo for risotto & the feta for parmesan. Stuck it in the instant pot & in 10 minutes dinner was ready!
Hi Jessica, sounds perfect with those subs! Glad you liked it!
I made this in combination with the lemon garlic parmesan chicken and it was delicious! Also, thank you for including the conversion to the metric system for us Europeans because I always struggle with the quantities in American recipes. 😅 We’ll be having the leftovers with shrimp tomorrow. Thanks for sharing, will definitely try more of your recipes!
Hi Ulrike, Perfect with shrimp! Thanks for trying out the dish and the kind review!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious.
Hi D, thanks for trying it out!! Glad it was enjoyed!
I just made this for lunch and it is a great dish. I upped the herbs, and used Greek yogurt to make it creamy, and added chopped chicken to make it a lunch dish. Yum! Don’t skip the lemon, it gives it a brightness that is needed with these ingredients.
Next time I think I will add more zucchini, to make the ratio between zucchini and pasta a little lower, but other than that I can see this becoming a favorite!
HI Izzy, love your suggestions! thank you! Happy you liked the dish!
I loved the taste, but the consistency was too thick for me – I used exactly the same quantities and a dutch oven pot for it. it looked more like risotto, and less like what I saw on the Instagram video 🙁 what did I do wrong?
Lovely authentic Greek favours to this recipe. Made it today and was a hit
Hi Andreea, thank you for the kind message and i’m so glad it was enjoyed!!
That was absolutely amazing! Will be cooking this again for sure. And it is so easy to make even for a rookie like me 🙂
Thank you for this recipe.
Hi Maja, glad you enjoyed the dish and thanks for the kind message!
Love this!! Added sumac for some extra flavor and it’s super good!
HI Jen, love the sumac here!
Looks amazing
How many cups in 1lb orzo?
It looks like a lot of orzo… is that correct?
Thanks!
HI Taital, yes its a lot of orzo, about 2 cups dry!
I made this for dinner tonight. I used goat cheese for an extra creamy texture, and I added roasted chicken that I shredded. It was delicious!
HI Mariann, sounds delicious with your substitutions! Thanks for sharing!
We are currently devouring this. One of my favorite recipes of yours that I’ve made so far. 😊
YUM YUM
YESSSS
I made this tonight. I didn’t have milk. I used coconut/almond milk. It came out great. Super creamy!!
HI Daria, glad it was enjoyed and thanks for trying it and sharing your feedback!
This was delicious, thank you!! I used gluten free Orzo, used 12 oz. Of orzo, a little less broth and a little less milk and it was perfect!I also subbed oatmilk for dairy.
Hi Cheyenne, glad you liked the orzo dish! I love it too!!
Smelled great when I was making it. Quick and few ingredients. And then I tried it. OMG love it. And added chicken for some protein.
easy to prep and makes for a wonderful medley of tastes. the freshness of lemon and zest and the spark of the dill pair nicely with the feta and zucchini. Will do this many more times
Excellent, my picky family loved it as well!
Loved it!! I added chicken sausage and sun dried tomatoes but left out the milk entirely. My roommate said it was the best thing I’ve ever made! Makes a ton!!!
Do you think this can be frozen?
I just made this for dinner. It was so easy and delicious. I didn’t use the milk just broth and yes anything with feta makes everything taste delicious! Thank you Stella for sharing this recipe
Just made this and added Greek yogurt and spinach to add more veggies to it. Excellent! The lemon zest makes all the difference. Love this easy recipe, thank you!
Hi! My orzo was a bit gummy and the noddles kind of stuck together. The recipe was delicious otherwise! Any idea what I did wrong?
Absolutely loved this! It made about 5 portions for me, and it was great to reheat and eat for lunch and dinners. When reheating, I just added a bit of chicken broth to make it creamy again. As someone with a ton of food sensitivities, it was perfect.
Would love more recipes like this!
Hello, when I add the milk it curdles, any tips on how to stop this from happening and why it happens?
Temper the Milk
Don’t add cold milk directly into a hot liquid. Instead, whisk small amounts of the hot liquid into the cold milk. When the milk is warm, then add it into the hot liquid. This process is called tempering. Another option is to simply heat the milk gently in a saucepan before adding it.
Use Cream Instead
Dairy products with higher fat content, such as whipping cream and heavy cream, are less prone to curdling. Restaurants use heavy cream for making sauces and soups because unlike milk, it can be boiled without curdling. (It also has more flavor and richness than milk.) For that same reason, 2% milk is more likely to curdle than whole milk.
Great recipe — my Greek husband and family loved it! So easy and thank you!
great recipe loved it
I made this for dinner last night and it was soooooo delicious. It was the perfect comfort food on a cold, Aussie winter night! Thank you Stella xo
Made this for dinner and it was so yummy! Again, another 5 stars! Thanks Stella!
Love this dish. I could eat it cold or warm. I make your turkey meatballs as well and this ends up bring lunches or dinner during the week.
can I freeze leftovers?
How would this be with couscous instead of orzo? would the recipe work?
Hi Bonnie, would be awesome with couscous!
I made this with gluten free pasta and it’s amazing! I added more lemon juice and topped it with grilled shrimp. I’m a happy girl! Thank you!
This was one of the most delicious dishes I have ever made!
Hi Emilie, glad you liked it! Thank you for the rating!
Since I was omitting the milk, and increasing the broth, I thought it would be a good chance I’d need to add some plain greek yogurt for creaminess so I did back off a bit on the lemon. Tasted it after the feta and went ahead and stirred in the yogurt (off heat). The olive oil drizzle really takes it up a notch. Will make it again.
Looks amazing – can I sub yellow squash, ya think? Have a bunch from my local CSA, along with fresh dill…
Hi Mia, yes absolutely you can sub in yellow squash! Enjoy!
This looks soooo good. Can’t wait to try it!! Can someone please tell me what cheese I can sub for the feta? Thanks so much 😊
HI Janet, you can use goat cheese or cotija cheese instead of feta!
Can’t wait to try!!! I love all your delicious recipes. Thank you
It was really delicious. I added cooked, chicken chunks after it was done and that was a great addition to make a complete meal. When I make it again I will add the chicken too.
HI Elay, glad it was enjoyed and sounds perfect with the chicken!
Will it work if I half the recipe?
yes!
Delicious!!
Wow!! This is sooooo good!!! I LOVE lemon, and feta and this was AMAZING!
Hi all. This looks fantastic and I’m planning to make it for dinner tomorrow. Just wondering for those of you who have made it, did anybody squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini before adding it to the pan or you just added “as is” after shredding? Thanks!
Wow this is so nice. Even my daughter liked it Stella 😊
I haven’t cooked in a while and I was excited to make this.
Love watching your videos and I feel inspired to start cooking again.
I look forward to finding another recipe I like and making it. ❤️
Hi Ros, glad you BOTH liked the recipe! And I’m so glad the videos are resonating with you! Cooking is therapeutic for me and I hope it becomes that for you too! Much love to you!
I just made this and the kids loved it!! I added mushrooms. So yummy!! Thanks.
MMMMMMM sounds awesome with the mushrooms!
I love it ❤️ thank you for the recipe❤️
From KUWAIT 🇰🇼
❤️
Hello! Thanks so much for trying the dish out! Glad you liked it <3
This was an absolute winner with all the family and a quick easy meal to whip up during the week.
Awesome! Glad the dish was enjoyed!