Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Spinach, Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Orzo
The most delicious and easiest Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Spinach, Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Orzo! It’s the perfect healthy weeknight dinner for two. Simply made with garlic, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, shrimp, and fresh squeezed lemon juice sautéed in healthy olive oil. All mixed together with orzo and finished with spinach for a filling and yummy meal. This simple lemon shrimp orzo is made in under 30 minutes, uses just two pots (but, it really only uses one!), and is a great way to use healthy ingredients in a delicious way. It’s lemon-y, garlicky, packed with fresh spinach, and super simple. The best cozy dinner for two to enjoy any night of the week!
→ This post is also available as a Web Story: Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo
About The Recipe
There’s nothing better to keep you warm during these colder winter months than a big bowl of pasta! Especially when that pasta is made just a little bit better for you. Yep, this Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Spinach, Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Orzo is everything you’re going to need for weeknight dinners or even cozy weekends! There’s simply nothing better.
To be honest, we weren’t really sure sure what to post today. Actually, figuring out recipes for this month has been a bit of a challenge (though, the healthy brownies and banana donuts were so much fun!). We love sweets, obviously, but finding ways to make them a bit better for you really has been something we need to think about. We don’t really look at labels and calorie counts, but rather try to eat whole foods. Better for you fats, lighter proteins, whole grains, leafy greens, citrus, and so forth. With baking, it can be a little difficult finding ways to make it still taste DELICIOUS while also giving you some health benefits.
So, we decided to give ourselves a little bit of a break. Savory isn’t something we post often, but when we do, you all seem to love it! With today, we really had some options, but I think this orzo ended up feeling like the best fit. It’s healthy, but cozy…I mean, what’s better than a big bowl of pasta?
And, since we’re in the low 20’s here, cozy and healthy sounded like the perfect thing to make for dinner tonight!
This dish is actually a recipe my mom came up with a while ago. Like, beginning of December, if I remember right. Though, at the time, we didn’t have a single pine nut in the house. Nope.
So, with the lack of pine nuts, we used walnuts. We also used salted butter. The dish essentially was the exact same as this. It tasted SO good. We knew we had to make it again, but with the original ingredients she had in mind… Now, here we are!
Cozy, simple, and SO DELICIOUS!
Why You Should Make This Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo For Dinner Tonight
- Uses really simple and minimal ingredients.
- It’s healthier than a big bowl of plain pasta. It also has LOTS more flavor.
- Tastes wonderful with a glass of white wine.
- Works as a quick weeknight dinner or even on the weekends.
- Ready in 30 minutes or LESS!
Equipment Needed
- Chefs Pan or Large Sauté Pan
- 4 Quart Pot
- Colander
- Wooden Spatula
Ingredients
(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)
- Orzo
- Olive Oil
- Pine Nuts
- Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Minced Garlic
- Medium Shelled & Deveined Shrimp
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh Spinach
How To Make Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo
Step 1: Make the orzo
Make the orzo according to packaging instructions. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté
In a chefs pan or a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the pine nuts, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. Sauté until pine nuts are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is done. Add the lemon juice.
Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted.
Step 3: Add orzo and serve
Mix in the orzo.
How To Store
If there are leftovers, you can store this shrimp orzo in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Substitutions
- Avocado oil or butter may be used in place of the olive oil.
- Want to make this dish vegan/vegetarian? Leave out the shrimp and use tofu!
- Fresh tomato can be used instead of sun-dried tomatoes.
- Walnuts can be used in place of the pine nuts.
- Any pasta can be used.
Expert Tips
- Watch the pine nuts when sautéing them! You don’t want them to burn.
- Do NOT overcook the shrimp. They can become rubbery.
- Use fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh minced garlic for the best flavor.
When you make this Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Spinach, Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Orzo, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Spinach, Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried orzo
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup pinenuts
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 12 ounces medium shrimp
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil.
- When hot, stir in pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic.
- Cook, while stirring, for 1-2 minutes.
- Add shrimp.
- Cook until shrimp just starts to turn pink.
- Stir in lemon juice.
- Continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in spinach.
- Stir in orzo.
EQUIPMENT
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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