This easy shrimp, zucchini, and orzo pasta recipe straddles the line between a one-pot pasta and a 30-minute dinner. But with a healthy dose of zucchini and a bit of heat from Mexican flavors, it should actually fall into the wonder-pot category, because it’s all the healthy flavor bites all in one.
When readers share their biggest challenge with cooking and eating more healthily, 98% of them have exactly the same problem. (btw, email me yours!)
It isn’t lack of desire.
It isn’t lack of recipe ideas or inspiration.
And it isn’t a lack of skill.
The number one challenge is always the same: Finding the time to shop, prep, and cook homemade meals with real good real food.
That’s why having a stocked pantry, along with a couple of long-lasting fresh ingredients plus a few freezer staples is my way to successfully challenge that challenge.
What’s the Main Ingredient for a Weeknight Dinner In Just 30 Minutes?
Having a few shortcuts in hand is the key to getting dinner on fast, and there’s no better ingredient than having a well stocked pantry and freezer. That doesn’t mean you need to have an overwhelming variety of oddball products. But keeping stock of the basics works wonders every time.
Three quarters of this recipe are ingredients you can easily keep at the ready because they are either dried/canned/frozen or are slow-spoilers that are simply always in rotation:
- frozen shrimp: save even more time by using frozen shrimp that are already shelled and deveined. To thaw the shrimp, simply place in a bowl and run warm-ish, room temperature water over them for a few minutes.
- chicken broth: I keep my homemade stock in the freezer but also have several boxes on hand in the pantry too.
- dried orzo pasta: some think it’s a rice, but it’s actually a pasta that I’ve used for risotto too.
- canned tomatoes with green chiles: I used the RO*TEL brand with chipotle peppers for even more kick.
- ground cinnamon: it adds an earthy flavor you’re going to love.
- garlic: more and more I’m in the habit of pressing my garlic instead of mincing and recently found THE BEST garlic press to come close to my grandma’s ancient one that works magic. And it’s only $4!!!
- salt and pepper: I always use kosher salt and always grind my pepper fresh (I use my coffee grinder just for this!)
- butter: salted or unsalted it doesn’t matter so long as it’s good quality
- oil: I use canola oil but you could use whatever you have on hand
That leaves the only ingredients you’ll need to shop for fresh are:
- zucchini (which is actually pretty slow to spoil)
- limes (this could technically go in my list above because they last so long)
- shallots (another super slow spoiler)
- cilantro (substitute with parsley if you’re one who isn’t a fan)
About the Recipe: Here’s the Video for How to Make It
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
One-Pot Mexican Shrimp with Orzo and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp that have been shelled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ⅓ cup minced shallots
- 1 ⅓ cup dry orzo pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies and chipotle peppers, (I used RO*TEL)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Juice of 2 limes
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cups sliced zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt and pepper and 1 clove of pressed garlic and set aside.
- In a large, high-sided skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter with the canola oil. Add the minced shallots and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring often so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the dried orzo pasta and continue to cook and stir, until the orzo is golden and smells nutty. Add the chicken broth, water, tomatoes with green chiles, cinnamon, lime juice and cilantro, and cook until the orzo is tender to the bite, about 5-8 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes, then top with the shrimp.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp is done and the orzo is tender.
- Sprinkle with more cilantro and another squeeze of lime if you like and serve!
More One-Pot Dinners to Save Your Week
- 20 One Pot Wonder Meals—They’re What’s For Dinner
- One-Pot Skinny Pasta Primavera
- One-Pot Penne Pasta with Turkey and Spinach (healthy but they’ll never realize it is!)
- How to Make Homemade One-Pot Sloppy Joes (my mom’s recipe never fails)
- One-Pan Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce
- Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale (serve this one over creamy polenta for a super tasty bite)
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I live to eat. And i love to try new dishes from all over the world.
Thank you for this awesome dish.
schhathu sharma
Thanks for sharing this post, it was great reading this article! would like to know more! keep in touch and stay connected
BerythaBeasley
I am hungry, I want all and am fond of eating sweets so much….
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I love these, I want all and am fond of eating sweets so much, lol I am hungry
Erica
I made this last night and it was delicious! I have never cooked with orzo before and I had more liquid still in the pan than what the video shows after pulling it out of the oven. After it sat for a few minutes out of the oven, the liquid thickened into a sauce so it worked out! This dish is very spicy….as in ‘full of potent flavors’, not ‘hot’. (at least not to me) To break up the intense flavors, I added some leftover roasted corn I had in the fridge. Those small bursts of sweet from the corn complimented the intense spices very well! I will certainly make this again! More one-pan dishes, please!
VidMate
I want to have all these, Are these made in Mexico?
Robbery bob mod
That’s looking really delicious. Thanks a lot.
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Nice pice of Work. Thanks for sharing.
Tom Doney
The only negative is that the dish was pasty.
Maybe I cooked the orzo too long.
The flavor was great. It had just the right amount of heat.
I will certainly make it again.
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Thanks for the info….keep posting…
Jennifer
Made this tonight and it’s delicious! Filing in the permanent recipe binder. I barely deviated from the original recipe…only variations were that I didn’t measure the shallots and cilantro so there may have been a bit more in my version. The cinnamon seemed strange at first but it becomes a “mystery ingredient” at the end; you can tell there’s something interesting there but you can’t quite figure out what it is.
Jennifer
P.S. My teenager described it as “restaurant quality” as she inhaled a large bowl of it.
Jennifer
P.P.S. After a second serving, she asked to take some to school for her lunch tomorrow.
SUCCESS.
Yesenia
Great recipe!! Delicious! Trying to figure out the white sprinkled stuff…is it more garlic?! Just wondering. Thanks!
.
Emma
Made this last night but substituted this Italian black rice which is a brown rice but comes out kind of like wild rice and turns everything purple! This made it all take a bit longer and require a bit more water. Also added fennel and chickpeas (since I didn’t have much shrimp but wanted the protein. Also added smoked paprika, cumin and a cinnamon stick (instead of ground cinnamon). It made the entire floor of my apartment building smell amazing. So so good. Reminds me of paella but easier and healthier. It didn’t look at pretty as yours but I am excited to have it as leftover today!
Kelly
I found your blog and this recipe through How Sweet Eats. Just made this for lunches this week and it’s so good – love the flavor the cinnamon and lime juice add. And it was super quick and easy. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Kelly! Thanks for circling back to say so!!
Melissa
Do you know the nutrition facts for this dish?
Luiza Mirtis
love, best post mexican
Speed, Testera
These meal looks so delicious and really tasty and healthly.
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I’m sparing these recipes to instruct my child this late summer. He should cook for himself one year from now at school. Straightforward and simple tidy up is the ideal thing for school kid.
Subodh
I loved the way food is served and it seems to be very delicious!