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Ground Beef Orzo with Tomato Cream Sauce

Ground Beef Orzo with Tomato Cream Sauce is a rich, one-pan dinner where browned ground beef and tender orzo simmer in a tomato parmesan broth. Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan off the heat for a smooth, creamy finish that’s ready in under 40 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 721
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

lean ground beef
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
yellow onion
  • 1 yellow onion small, diced
garlic
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
orzo
  • 1.5 cup orzo uncooked
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
tomato sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
beef broth
  • 2.5 cup beef broth
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
paprika
  • 0.5 tsp paprika
onion powder
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
heavy cream
  • 0.75 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.75 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
fresh parsley
  • 1 fresh parsley for garnish for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the beef and build the sauce
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  2. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as needed.
  3. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until softened.
  4. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  5. Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine.
  6. Stir in the uncooked orzo so it’s evenly covered by the liquid.
  7. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender.
Make it creamy and finish
  1. Reduce the heat to low.
  2. Stir in the butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese and mix until smooth and creamy.
  3. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer the orzo uncovered and stir occasionally so the pasta cooks evenly and the sauce thickens without turning starchy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat with a splash of broth to loosen. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy sauce can separate. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and add the Parmesan a little at a time to keep the sauce smooth.