Description
Creamy Ground Beef Orzo with Tomato Cream Sauce is an easy one-pan dinner made with savory ground beef, tender orzo, crushed tomatoes, cream, Parmesan, and fresh basil. Rich, comforting, and family-friendly, it comes together in about 35 minutes for the perfect busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Base
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
For the Orzo
- 1 1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
For Garnish
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Brown the beef and onion: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion. Cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking the beef into small pieces, until browned and the onion is tender. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Add the garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Build the flavor: Add the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes and broth: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Stir well and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the orzo: Stir in the dry orzo. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add a splash of broth if the mixture becomes too thick before the orzo is cooked.
- Make it creamy: Stir in the heavy cream and simmer uncovered for another 2–3 minutes, until the tomato sauce is creamy and everything is well combined.
- Finish and serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh basil. Serve warm with additional Parmesan and basil, if desired.
Notes
- Ground turkey or ground chicken can replace the beef for a lighter variation.
- Half-and-half can replace heavy cream, although the finished sauce will be slightly less rich.
- Vegetable broth can be substituted for beef broth.
- Stir the orzo occasionally while it cooks to prevent it from sticking to the skillet.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add beef broth 1–2 tablespoons at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- When reheating, add a splash of broth or cream because the orzo continues absorbing sauce as it sits.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop / One-Pan
- Cuisine: American / Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 540 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 760 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg