Delicious and easy dinner recipe One Pan Shrimp and Basil Orzo/ Risoni Pasta, ready in just 30 minutes!
One Pan Shrimp and Basil Orzo/ Risoni Pasta Recipe
New favorite dinner recipe!
Orzo or Risoni is my new favorite pasta! I almost cannot believe I never cooked with it before. Even, my super picky husband loved it! And this is big! He barely touches any type of pasta.
What is Orzo?
Orzo, also known as Risoni in some countries is a type of pasta, shaped like a grain of rice that is absolutely perfect in soups (instead of noodles) or served just as pasta. It cooks much faster than rice and can be a substitute if really needed.
I love all these quick 30 minutes dinner recipes made with a couple of ingredients! I have been cooking them through the whole January month and I am pretty happy with our healthy start of this year. Told you, nothing fancy, no drastic changes…. just getting back to basics and cooking from scratch where is possible.
This One Pan Shrimp and Basil Orzo/ Risoni pasta dish is packed with all my favorite Mediterranean flavors: olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, zesty lemon and fresh seafood.
If you don’ have/ prefer shrimp (prawn) you can replace it with 3 medium sized skinless chicken breast fillets or some fish fillets.
This recipe makes a pretty big batch of Shrimp and Basil Orzo/ Risoni and if you are feeding just a couple of people you will definitely end up with leftovers, that will be much appreciated the next day!
One Pan Shrimp and Basil Orzo/ Risoni

Quick and easy one pot shrimp and orzo dinner recipe, ready in just 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb/ 500g raw shrimp/ green prawns, peeled and deveined
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1½ cup orzo/ risoni pasta
- 4 cups chicken broth/ stock
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
- grape tomatoes, halved to serve
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add 1 garlic clove, minced and chopped asparagus to the pan. Cook for 1 minute and add shrimp too. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
- Return pan to the heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, chopped onion, remains 2 garlic cloves, minced and cook for a couple of minutes. Add some chopped fresh basil leaves in too and orzo/ risoni pasta. Cook, stirring frequently until the pasta is coated with the olive oil sauce. Add dry white wine, give it a good stir and then add chicken broth/ stock and lemon juice too. Cook, stirring regularly for almost 12 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is almost all absorbed.
- Add shrimp/ prawn mixture to the pan and stir to incorporate them.
- Turn off the heat and serve warm with fresh basil leaves and halved grape tomatoes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 1772mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 27g
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Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery
Thursday 2nd of February 2017
Beautiful photography! Shrimp and asparagus is such a perfect pairing, so I'm sure this is delicious.
Tara @ Simple Food 365
Tuesday 31st of January 2017
I love the addition of the asparagus and the Mediterranean flavors in this dish! Asparagus has to be one of my all-time favorite veggies. This is definitely a must-try.
Anne Murphy
Tuesday 31st of January 2017
The shrimp and asparagus sound like such a perfect combination! It's so quick and easy, too - the whole meal in the one skillet.
Ashley - Forking Up
Tuesday 31st of January 2017
One pan meals are a LIFESAVER! I love the combo here, looks nice and fresh :)
Kylee from Kylee Cooks
Tuesday 31st of January 2017
You had me at "one pan" - this looks perfect for my family on a weeknight. You got some beautiful photos of this - so yummy looking!