One-Pot Shrimp and Pea Orzo Pasta
This quick and easy one-pot shrimp and pea orzo pasta is a great meal for any night of the week! It’s light and fresh, but also comforting and satisfying.
One-pot meals are my fave! Being able to easily throw together a complete meal for my family, all in one pan, at the end of a busy day makes me feel like a rock star. Like I’ve got this whole mom thing figured out.
This shrimp and pea orzo pasta dish is definitely a weeknight hero! It’s simple but elevated, and feels fancier than it really is. The combination of peas, shrimp and pasta in a light lemon and herb sauce is delicious, and I know your family will love it as much as mine do.
“I made this tonight for some pretty picky eaters … and there is nothing left! Everyone had seconds! Thank you for a great recipe!” —from reader Brian
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s a rundown on what’s required for this recipe, and you can find the full recipe at the end of this article! Yes, there are quite a few ingredients, but most are basic and I have a few swap suggestions if needed
- Shrimp (peeled and deveined, with tail on or off)
- Orzo pasta
- Vegetable or chicken broth
- White wine (you can substitute with more broth)
- Paprika, oregano, and thyme
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon juice and zest
- Green onions/scallions and fresh garlic
- Frozen peas
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese (for serving)
How to make this shrimp and pea orzo pasta
- Cook the pasta. Boil for about 8-10 minutes so it’s “al dente” with a little bite still left in it.
- Prepare the sauce. Set the drained pasta aside and move quickly to make the sauce in the same pan. Simmer stock, wine and seasonings.
- Stir in peas, onions and shrimp. Add the peas and green onions and return to a boil, then add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink and cooked all the way through.
- Add orzo, lemon and butter. Cook for a few minutes so the orzo soaks up a bit of the sauce.
- Serve and enjoy! Add parmesan cheese as you like.
Tips for cooking shrimp
For easiest preparation, buy shrimp that have already been peeled and de-veined. You can use fresh or frozen, though if you use frozen let them thaw and drain them well (to quickly thaw the shrimp, run them briefly under lukewarm water in a colander).
It’s up to you whether you’d like to remove the shrimp tails or not before cooking— the tails provide a prettier presentation, but removing them makes eating much simpler.
More one-pan recipes
- One-Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Potatoes
- One-Pan Roasted Chicken, Potatoes and Leeks
- Loaded Baked Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
Get the recipe
One-Pot Shrimp and Pea Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable or chicken broth
- ¼ cup white wine (or more broth)
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 5 green onions , sliced
- 12 ounces shrimp
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Parmesan cheese , for serving (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta and cook into according to directions on the package, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Working quickly, return the pot to the stove and add the vegetable stock and wine. Stir in the paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then add peas and green onions.
- Bring mixture to a boil again, then add shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until shrimp cook all the way through and turn pink.
- Return the orzo to the pan along with the lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook for a few minutes until orzo soaks up the sauce.
- Serve immediately with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
What an amazing accomplishment..he must feel so relieved and you must be so proud! This shrimp pea orzo is awesome! I can see it becoming a staple in my house, especially with the yummy dressing! I really like this recipe. I am very excited to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing a useful ingredient.
I made this tonight for some pretty picky eaters … and there is nothing left! Everyone had seconds! Thank you for a great recipe!
Substitutions:
2 Tbs of Lemon Juice instead of 1 Lemon and Zest
My husband is allergic to shellfish. What would be an alternative to the shrimp?
Hi Linda! Feel free to sub any protein for the shrimp per your preference. Chicken or sausage would be great alternatives. Though, with those alternatives I would probably cook them before adding them to the recipe.
I don’t eat shrimp but made this for my husband and daughter and they loved it! I used asparagus. It makes a large amount. I did not end up adding all of the orzo.
Asparagus is a great addition! Glad your family loved it!
Looks easy and delicious. I noticed in the picture display of all the ingredients, there were two pats of butter. Where are they added into the recipe?
Yes! Add it along with the orzo and lemon.
This looks really good , we have our own prawns and are now picking wild asparagus so this recipe will be perfect! I didn’t want to print all your advertising so just pinned it.
Prawns and asparagus sound wonderful!
Any idea on nutritional content?
Sorry, still working on getting nutritional info added to the site!
This is a weeknight favourite around here! (Also a great meal to bring to others). Thanks for the reminder that this is a perfect spring recipe – and try it with new asparagus sometime!