Boursin Orzo Bake

This creamy Boursin orzo bake cooks in one dish with grape tomatoes, fresh spinach, and garlic herb cheese, with no boiling or draining required!

Paid links used in this post. Read more about my link usage policies.

Why You'll Love Boursin Orzo Bake

leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

I'm all for a pasta dinner that keeps the prep and cleanup simple. This Boursin orzo bake starts with uncooked pasta, some chicken broth, and a few other ingredients that go straight into the baking dish. Garlic and herb cheese handles most of the seasoning and turns into a super creamy sauce when you stir everything together.

If you like my Boursin cheese pasta, this is another easy way to use that yummy garlic and herb cheese. Serve this one with grilled chicken or fish, or stir in some rotisserie chicken to make dinner a little more filling.

One-Dish Meal

Creamy, Cheesy Sauce

The oven does the work

The veggies are built right in. Tomatoes soften in the oven, and fresh spinach gets stirred in at the end.

The pasta cooks right in the broth. No separate pot to watch or pasta to drain.

It works as a side or a main. Serve smaller portions with your favorite protein, or add cooked chicken right to the dish.

Most of the work happens in the oven, which makes this an easy one to work into a busy weeknight. I hope it comes in clutch for your family!

Ingredient Notes

ingredients for boursin orzo bake, including orzo pasta, spinach, grape tomatoes, and seasonings.

(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)

Orzo: This is a small pasta that looks like rice. Add it uncooked so it can absorb the broth as it bakes.
Chicken broth: Low-sodium broth gives you more control over the seasoning. Keep extra on hand if the pasta needs more liquid.
Grape tomatoes: You'll want to wash and drain before adding. These will soften during baking and can be gently broken up when you stir in the cheese.
Boursin cheese: Use the Garlic & Fine Herbs flavor. Remove all packaging, including the foil, before adding.
Olive oil: This is just going to give the dish a little extra richness - you can absolutely leave it out if you're trying to cut calories.
Seasonings: We'll be using an equal blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder in this recipe to give it a little flavor boost.
Fresh spinach: Stir in after the pasta is tender. The heat wilts the leaves without baking them the whole time.

Additions & Substitutions

Boursin orzo bake with chicken: Stir in cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken near the end of baking, then cover and return to the oven until heated through. Add a splash of broth if the mixture needs loosening. Use cooked chicken for this variation; raw chicken needs its own tested cooking method.
Meatless version: Sub vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Fresh finish: Add chopped basil or a small squeeze of lemon after baking. Taste before adding more.
Different Boursin flavor: Use any savory Boursin flavor you like! Keep in mind that it will change the seasoning of the whole dish.

How to Make Boursin Orzo Bake

grape tomatoes, orzo pasta, and chicken broth mixed in a baking dish.

boursin cheese placed in the middle of a baking dish.

Prep the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 3.5 quart baking dish.
Add the ingredients. Stir together the uncooked orzo, chicken broth, grape tomatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Keep the orzo under the liquid. Place the unwrapped round of Boursin in the center.

dish of cheese, orzo, and tomatoes removed from the oven after baking.

Cover and bake. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Check pasta. At the end of the 35 minute baking time, if the orzo is still firm, cover and bake in additional 5-minute intervals. If the pasta is firm and the pan looks dry, you can add ¼ cup hot broth before returning it to the oven. If the pasta is cooked to al dente, remove from the oven and allow to sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes to absorb any additional broth.

orzo pasta in a boursin cheesy sauce after stirring.

stirring spinach into the boursin orzo bake.

Stir well. Stir the softened cheese into the orzo. Gently break up the softened tomatoes if you'd like by pressing on them with your spoon.
Wilt the spinach. Once the orzo is tender, stir in the fresh spinach. Cover for a few minutes, until the leaves wilt.

Texture tip: The pasta should still look a little saucy when it comes out of the oven. It will absorb more of the liquid as it rests.

How to Serve

I like to serve this baked orzo with grilled chicken, roasted salmon, or a green salad. If you want to add chicken directly to the pasta, a salad or a veggie side (like my bacon ranch green beans) is enough to round out your dinner.

dish of boursin orzo bake surrounded by plates, spinach, napkin.

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours of baking, and enjoy it within 3-4 days.

Reheating: Reheat single servings in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between cooking sessions. The orzo will absorb more sauce in the fridge. You can stir in a splash of broth before reheating, then add more as needed to thin it out.

For a larger amount, cover and reheat in the oven at 350°F until heated through.

Freezing: For the best texture, enjoy this one fresh or refrigerated. Freezing can soften the orzo and change the consistency of the sauce.

Leslie's Helpful Tips & Tricks

Cover the baking dish tightly. A loose foil cover allows more liquid to evaporate before the pasta finishes cooking.
Check the pasta itself. The broth level alone doesn't tell you whether the orzo is done. Taste a few pieces from the center before adding the spinach.
Firm pasta needs more cooking. Add broth only if the dish also looks dry, then cover and continue baking.
Tender pasta with a little extra liquid needs a rest. Stir and give it a few minutes before deciding whether it needs more oven time.
Save extra broth for adjustments. A small splash thins sauce that has become too thick.

FAQs

Yes, you can prep the ingredients ahead. Keep the uncooked orzo separate from the broth until you're ready to bake so it doesn't start absorbing liquid early. Refrigerate the cheese and veggies until needed.

I'd stick to orzo for this recipe. Other pasta shapes and rice need different amounts of liquid and cooking time, so swapping them can leave you with undercooked pasta or a watery sauce.

Yes! For a half batch, halve all ingredients, use a 7x11" baking dish, and check the pasta earlier. For a double batch, use a 9×13" dish.

No - this recipe calls for 8 ounces of orzo by weight. Use half of a 16-ounce package or weigh the dry pasta on a kitchen scale. Two measuring cups won't necessarily give you the same amount.

A similar soft garlic and herb cheese is the closest substitute. Garlic and herb cream cheese may work, but the sauce may turn out thicker and taste different. Boursin is the best choice here.

Sure! Prep the frozen spinach according to the package directions, then squeeze out excess water. Stir it in near the end and heat through. Use less than you would fresh spinach, since frozen spinach is more compact. For this version, start with about half of a 10-ounce package.

I'd use cooked chicken for this recipe. Raw chicken and orzo can finish cooking at different times. I would stir cooked, shredded chicken in near the end, then cover and return to the oven until heated through.

More Pasta Dishes

olive garden chicken pasta in a crockpot.

Olive Garden Pasta

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Cheeseburger Pasta

Chili Onion Crunch Pasta

I hope you love this easy, cheesy pasta dish! If you give this one a try, let me know what you thought in the comments. And make sure to follow along for the latest and greatest from LL Eats!