Orzo Bake with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

5 from 2 votes

This dump & bake orzo casserole features lots of flavor from sun-dried tomatoes, sherry cooking wine, and salty feta.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 482kcal

Preheat the oven to 400F. Bring the water to a boil on the stovetop or in a kettle.
Meanwhile, to an 8x8-inch or similarly sized casserole dish add the uncooked orzo, drained chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, diced shallot, minced garlic, sliced almonds, butter, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Carefully stir the boiling water into the baking dish. Stir to combine.
Cover tightly with foil, an oven-safe lid, or an upside down sheet pan. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. If the orzo isn't fully cooked, add an extra 5-10 minutes of covered baking time.
Remove from the oven and stir in the spinach and sherry cooking wine. Top with the feta. Return to the oven, uncovered, to melt the feta for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and enjoy! Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Sun-dried tomatoes: You can buy whole tomatoes or sliced, just make sure to thinly slice or chop them before adding to the recipe. Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes also work, but I do recommend drizzling them with a bit of oil before adding to the recipe.
Don't test the orzo until at least the 25 minute mark, as the buildup of steam under the lid is what cooks the orzo. Removing the lid (and thus the steam) makes the dish take longer to cook.
Storage: Best within 3-4 days. Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.
Freezing: I have not tried freezing pasta-based casseroles but imagine it would work well. Let cool completely before freezing in a freezer-safe container. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat individual servings in the microwave. To reheat the entire pasta dish, cover with foil and bake at 325F until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.