Creamy Pesto Orzo and Meatballs

Jump to Recipe

This one-pot-wonder is made from store bought meatballs cooked in creamy pesto orzo with cherry tomatoes and spring onion. A super flavoursome mid-week meal!

A baked dish featuring meatballs, melted cheese, rice, and vegetables, served in a white pan with a metal spoon on a wooden surface.

On a whim, I threw together this Creamy Pesto Orzo and Meatballs for dinner, and it did not disappoint! It was such a tasty one-pot-wonder that I made it again the very next day to share on the website. For convenience I used store bought meatballs. These cook with the orzo in a creamy sauce which mean they both soak up all the delicious flavours.

One pot meals are my favourite to cook and eat. Super simple to prepare and only one dish to clean up! Some other great options on my website include One Pot Creamy Meatballs and Gnocchi, my ever-popular One Pot Mince and Pasta or my One Pot Mince, Orzo and Veggies!

Jump to:

Ingredient notes:
Step by step instructions:
Recipe FAQs:
Storage:
Top tips:
Related Recipes:
Creamy Pesto Orzo and Meatballs

Ingredient notes:

A selection of ingredients on a counter: a block of cheese, pesto dip, cream cheese, green onions, packaged meatballs, two bouillon cubes, garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, and a box of pasta.

Meatballs: For convenience I used store bought meatballs. You can use homemade if you prefer.
Orzo: Orzo (which is sometimes referred to as risoni) is a type of pasta that looks like large grains of rice. It cooks quickly which makes it perfect for a one pot.
Pesto: Either a pesto or pesto dip will work well in this recipe. You could also make your own if you have an abundance of basil in your garden, try my Homemade Cashew Pesto.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.

Step by step instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. To a baking dish, add the orzo, cherry tomatoes, spring onion and garlic. Dissolve the stock cubes in boiling water, pour into the dish and stir everything together to combine.

A measuring cup pours broth over uncooked orzo, halved cherry tomatoes, and chopped green onions in a pan.

A pot containing broth, halved cherry tomatoes, green onions, dollops of cream cheese, and spoonfuls of pesto.

Add dollops of pesto and cream cheese around the dish. Nestle the meatballs into the mixture. Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes. If your dish doesn't have a lid, cover it tightly with tin foil instead.

A white pot contains raw meatballs, cherry tomatoes, chopped green onions, sauce, and cheese in broth, ready to be cooked.

A round baking dish filled with cooked meatballs, cherry tomatoes, green vegetables, dollops of cheese, pesto, and orzo pasta.

Remove from the oven, stir gently to combine, then use tongs to bring the meatballs to the top. Change the oven to 200°C fan grill. Return the dish to the oven, (uncovered) placing it close to the grill and bake for 5-10 minutes to brown the tops of the meatballs.

A skillet filled with creamy pasta, red bell peppers, and several meatballs mixed together.

A white skillet filled with creamy pasta, meatballs, chopped tomatoes, and topped with shredded cheese, resting on a gray countertop.

Scatter over the grated cheese and grill for a further 5 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve hot with a fresh side salad and a sprinkle of herbs on top.

A pan filled with baked meatballs, melted cheese, rice, chopped tomatoes, and green onions, with a serving spoon placed inside.

Recipe FAQs:

Can I use a different flavour of meatball?

Absolutely. Swap the beef meatballs for chicken or pork. You can also use sausages cut into chunks or make your own meatballs from scratch.

I don't have a lid for my casserole dish, can I still make this?

If you don't have a lid for your baking dish, cover it tightly with tin foil to trap in the steam.

Storage:

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven, adding a splash of water or stock to loosen if needed.

Top tips:

Pesto dip works just as well as traditional pesto and is usually more affordable.

Made this recipe?
Please click on the stars below to rate it or, write a review!

Creamy Pesto Orzo and Meatballs

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Creamy Pesto Orzo with Meatballs is made with store bought meatballs cooked in creamy pesto orzo with cherry tomatoes and spring onion.

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 vegetable stock cubes
500ml boiling water
75g pesto or pesto dip
100g cream cheese
400g pre-made beef meatballs
50g cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
To a baking dish, add the orzo, cherry tomatoes, spring onion and garlic.
Dissolve the stock cubes in boiling water, pour into the dish and stir everything together to combine.
Add dollops of pesto and cream cheese around the dish. Nestle the meatballs into the mixture.
Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes. If your dish doesn’t have a lid, cover it tightly with tin foil instead.
Remove from the oven, stir gently to combine, then use tongs to bring the meatballs to the top.
Change the oven to 200°C fan grill. Return the dish to the oven, (uncovered) placing it close to the grill and bake for 5-10 minutes to brown the tops of the meatballs.
Scatter over the grated cheese and grill for a further 5 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Serve hot with a fresh side salad and a sprinkle of herbs on top.

Notes

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven, adding a splash of water or stock to loosen if needed.
Swap the beef meatballs for chicken or pork. You can also use sausages cut into chunks or make your own meatballs from scratch.
Pesto dip works just as well as traditional pesto and is usually more affordable.
If you don’t have a lid for your baking dish, cover it tightly with tin foil to trap in the steam.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 523Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 1045mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 20g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
If you don't already follow me, head over to my Instagram, Facebook or TikTok pages to keep up to date with all my new recipes.
Vanya