If you've been looking for a dinner that feels fancy but comes together in one pan with zero drama, this marry me shrimp and orzo is it.
Juicy, perfectly sautéed shrimp. Creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Tender orzo that soaks up every bit of flavor. It's the kind of dish that makes people go quiet at the dinner table — in the best possible way.
I made this on a random Tuesday night when I had shrimp in the freezer and no real plan. Thirty-five minutes later, Emily looked up from her bowl and said, "Mom, you need to make this every week." That's basically a standing ovation in our house.
If you love this Tuscan-inspired style, you'll probably also be obsessed with my Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach — it's the same dreamy vibes, different protein.
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Why You'll Love This Marry Me Shrimp and Orzo Recipe
- One pot, one cleanup — seriously, that alone is enough reason
- Ready in 35 minutes from start to finish
- The sauce is rich, creamy, and packed with sun-dried tomato flavor
- Orzo cooks right in the broth, so it absorbs all that good stuff
- Works for a quick weeknight dinner AND for when guests come over
- 42g of protein per serving — it's filling without being heavy
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, thawed, drained, and patted dry
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil (reserved from the jar)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 8 oz orzo (about 2 cups uncooked)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and julienned
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Fresh parsley or sliced basil for garnish
How to Make Marry Me Shrimp and Orzo
The instructions here are split into three simple stages. Don't skip the step where you remove the shrimp — it makes a HUGE difference in how they turn out.
1 — Season and Sauté the Shrimp
- Pat your shrimp completely dry with paper towels. (Wet shrimp = steamed shrimp = sad texture.)
- Toss the shrimp with the sun-dried tomato oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Heat your 3-quart sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer.
- Cook just until the shrimp turn pink — about 2 to 3 minutes. Don't walk away here.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. If the pan has released water, drain it and quickly wipe the pan dry before moving on.
2 — Build the Sauce and Cook the Orzo
- Add the butter to the same pan and let it melt over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant — your kitchen will smell amazing right about now.
- Pour in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the orzo, Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Stir everything together and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
3 — Finish and Serve
- Once the orzo is cooked through, stir in the parmesan cheese and baby spinach. The spinach will wilt in about 30 seconds.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Add the shrimp back to the pan. Gently stir to combine.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil and serve straight from the pan.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The orzo will keep absorbing liquid overnight, so the texture changes a bit by day two.
Reheating: Add a splash of chicken broth before reheating on the stovetop over low heat. Stir gently — you don't want to tough up the shrimp.
Freezing: I don't recommend it. Shrimp get rubbery when frozen and thawed in a sauce, and orzo tends to turn mushy. This one is best made fresh.
Tips and Variations for This One Pot Shrimp Orzo Pasta
- Use the oil from the jar. That sun-dried tomato oil is pure flavor — don't swap it for regular olive oil if you can help it.
- Don't overcook the shrimp. I learned this the hard way the first time I made a version of this dish. I let them sit too long and they turned into little erasers. Pull them the second they turn pink.
- Want it spicier? Double the red pepper flakes. Emily thinks I go overboard, but I say it's just right.
- Swap the protein. This works beautifully with scallops or even chunks of boneless chicken if you're out of shrimp.
- Make it dairy-free. Use full-fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream and skip the parmesan (or use a dairy-free alternative). The sauce will be slightly thinner but still really good.
- Lighter version: Swap heavy cream for half-and-half. It won't be quite as thick, but it still coats the orzo nicely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, small pasta shapes like ditalini or acini de pepe work well, but adjust the cooking time and liquid accordingly since orzo absorbs broth at a specific rate.
It's best served fresh, as orzo continues to absorb liquid and the shrimp can become rubbery when reheated. If needed, store components separately and reheat gently with a splash of broth.
You can swap heavy cream with half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk for a lighter or dairy-free version, though the sauce will be slightly less rich.
Sauté the shrimp just until they turn pink (about 2–3 minutes), remove them from the pan immediately, and only add them back at the very end to warm through — this prevents them from becoming tough and rubbery.
Recipes You May Like
If this one pot dinner hit the spot, here are a few more you'll want to save:
- Marry Me Chicken Orzo Recipe — Same creamy sun-dried tomato magic, but with chicken. A total crowd-pleaser.
- Easy Shrimp Scampi — Buttery, garlicky shrimp that comes together in under 20 minutes.
- Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta — For when you want something creamy with a kick.
Before You Go
This marry me shrimp and orzo recipe is one of those dishes I keep coming back to because it genuinely delivers every single time. One pan, big flavor, and done in 35 minutes — that's a weeknight win.
Give it a try and let me know in the comments how it turned out! And if you're saving recipes for later (which, same), pin this one to your Pinterest dinner board so you can find it easily.
One Pot Marry Me Shrimp and Orzo Pasta
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Toss shrimp with sun-dried tomato oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and smoked paprika. Sauté over medium heat just until shrimp have turned pink and are cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside to be added back in later. If the shrimp has released any water into the pan after cooking, drain and quickly wipe dry.
- Add butter to pan and let melt. Once melted, sauté garlic and crushed red pepper for about two minutes over medium heat.
- Add chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, orzo, Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to pan and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender.
- Once orzo is tender, stir in parmesan and spinach. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Add shrimp back to pan and sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil. Serve immediately.
