A super-easy one pan meal full of tasty shrimp, orzo pasta, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Ready in about 20 minutes, it’s a great choice for busy nights!

This post has been updated and republished with newer photographs
One pan or one pot recipes are always a bonus when making dinner. The less dishes to clean the better, right? That’s why this recipe is a winner, it’s packed with giant shrimp and cooked in tomato, broth and balsamic. Did I mention that it only takes about 20 minutes to make, and there’s a few healthy secret ingredients like coconut oil and kale.
what is orzo pasta?
Orzo means barley in Italian and it looks just like grains of rice. A little goes a long way so It’s a great filler for meals and cold summer salads like this grilled balsamic chicken version. It’s usually made from white flour although a whole grain version with more fiber is also available, a typical serving size of 2 ounces will have about 200 calories. Orzo is coated in starch which makes it ideal for naturally thickening sauce or liquid it may be cooked in, just like arborio rice which is used for risotto. For cold salads or dishes, it should be rinsed.

making your shrimp orzo pasta
This recipe is from the cook book, Superfoods at Every Meal by Kelly Pfeiffer. Kelly has simplified the process of getting superfoods into your everyday meals without feeling like you have to make a whole meal made only from those superfoods. Check out Kelly’s blog, Nosh and Nourish for more healthy and fun recipes! Each one of Kelly’s recipes is guaranteed to have some of the 10 superfoods listed in the book.
more shrimp recipes

Easy One-Pot Shrimp Orzo Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 14 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup uncooked organic orzo pasta
- 12 ounces de-veined medium sized shrimp
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- Fresh basil optional for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil over a low heat until melted.
- Add the kale and garlic and sauté until the kale gets soft.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, basil, oregano and orzo
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn the heat down. Simmer for 15 minutes stirring often and the mixture has thickened and the orzo is soft.
- Add the shrimp and cook for the remaining 5 minutes until shrimp are pink
- Garnish with the parmesan and basil. Serve in bowls at once.
You had me at “one-pot” – now that’s a dinner idea I can’t pass up. Pinned!
Beautiful dish and it’s both quick and healthy, and made in one pot! What’s not to love? I guess I’m doing pretty good, as I regularly use 7 of the 10 super foods, but there’s still room for improvement! I have an unopened bag of quinoa and will just have to break it open!
Ooooh, I can’t wait to get my hands on that book. Yes to this delicious one-pot masterpiece, and I love that pot. Pinned.
It’s sooooooooo lovely, Gerry. Thank you for taking the time to review my book and whip together this meal, and then even more time to style it beautifully and photograph it!!! I can’t wait to share with EVERYONE!
That one pot looks packed with flavor. And everything comes together in about 30 minutes? SOLD!
I find myself cooking with kale, eggs, walnut, and coconut oil all the time.
I use all of these super foods in cooking! this recipe looks delightful!
I eat about half of those foods on a regular basis. Chickpeas and sweet potatoes are 2 of my favorite things!
I love all 10 super foods! I would say our family eats at least one of these at supper everyday! And kale is consumed everyday here in smoothies or juicing!
Love it I think everyone will eat this one
We LOVE all those “superfoods” and are always looking for more ways to use them!
I never knew eggs and sweet potato were superfoods – I use these all the time WOO HOO go me
I have used some of the super foods listed, but recently started “Clean Eating” to lose weight. I have to say I’ve done well adn I’m never hungry! I have to credit my daughter, she has taught me how to eat correctly after all these years :)
Sweet potatoes!!!!!!! And Greek yogurt!!! All of tHem-is that an option!
I use many of those super foods listed. Would love to win the book and try these recipes.
Of the 10 superfoods listed, coconut oil is the on I haven’t used…Kelly’s recipes have inspired me to give it a try!
Looks yummy, I use 7/10 super foods almost daily:)
sweet potatoes!! And Greek yogurt!! Well aCtually All Of them!!! Is that an option?
I use all of them !
I’m always using quinoa! I love it! Eggs and Greek yogurt are staples in my diet! I would love to have your cookbook!
We love kale, coconut oil, walnuts and blueberries at our house!
This looks fantastic for a cold winter night’s dinner! I have never tried orzo, but I would love to give it a try using this recipe. I use blueberries, honey, and coconut oil quite a bit, but I love, love, love using eggs and walnuts. I’ve got to take my use of he other super foods on the list up a notch and your awesome new book would totally help me do this. :)
Would love to win the cookbook. I recently have tried to eat healthier. I currently have added chick peas, sweet potatoes, blueberries, eggs, honey, greek yogurt and walnuts to my diet. I have discovered that I actually like them and don’t feel I’m even missing my old way of eating.
looks like an amazing book! I’m also a stay at home dad and I’m trying to use more superfood more often. We have been experimenting with chickpeas and quinoa recently and of course eggs and sweet potato. But always looking to expand.
First let me say how much I love Kelly’s recipes!! (Almost) Every morning I put some kale in a smoothie; use honey in green tea daily; have a supply of pre-cooked quinoa on hand in the refrigerator; and frequently use coconut oil, blueberries, chickpeas, eggs and greek yogurt! I would love to own Superfoods at Every Meal!! Thank-you!
I probably need this cookbook, because chickpeas and walnuts frighten me! I DO cook with all the others, though! :)
i love quinoa and would love this cookbook!
The only one of the superfoods I don’t use fairly regularly is kale. Everything else is on the weekly list to make sure it’s always in the house. Can’t wait to try this shrimp dish, I love testing out new recipes.
i use quinoa, kale, blueberries, chickpeas, walnuts, honey, and coconut oil. yum! No yogurt and rarely eggs… Love your recipes!
That one-pot meal looks delicious. I love cooking with kale.
I have incorporated a lot of superfoods by following Kelly’s blog and trying a lot of her recipes! Kelly is quite inspiring.
Quinoa, kale, eggs and coconut oil! Definitely trying to incorporate more into our lifestyle though! Would love a copy of your cookbook!
I use all 10 of the superfoods listed. Love your recipes and whst you do. I especially love one dish meals and will be making this this weekend. I have all the ingredients on hand. Gorgeous photos of your dishes! Thank you!
I like to cook with eggs, honey, coconut oil, blueberries, sweet potatoes, kale, walnuts, chickpeas, and quinoa. I haven’t used Greek yogurt yet.
By the way this one pot recipe sounds amazing!!
This looks amazing but, than again everything you post is amazing
I use Kale in as much as I can. We grow it in abundance in my mother’s garden and use it in salads, mashed potatoes, smoothies, kale chips and so much more! All four of my kids gobble it up!
I love this! I’m enjoying new ways to add superfoods to my life. Though I’m a vegetarian, I think I can modify this. My current superfoods include quinoa, kale, blueberries, & I’m trying to incorporate more coconut oil as well. Thanks!
I use coconut oil, eggs, quinoa, blueberries, walnuts, greek yogurt and sweet potatoes.
I made blakbean,corn and quinoa quesidillas
I like using sweet potatoes (They are a great base for broccoli cheddar soup!), kale and of course we have plenty of eggs around here. Those artichoke kale mozzarella dippers from the book look phenomenal!
I had blueberries with breakfast, chickpeas with lunch, and my planned dinner has kale and quinoa. The cookbook sounds awesome :)
I use: Quinoa, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries – Eggs, Honey, Coconut Oil, Greek Yogurt and Walnuts. Some of them on a daily basis. Unfortunately for me, I’m allergic to chickpeas, which really sucks since I love hummus!
Regularly use honey, eggs, coconut oil. Would like to add the other super foods.
Kale, quinoa and coconut oil are our most used superfoods at home !
Half of the superfoods I use on a weekly basis! Love me some kale, sweet potatoes, eggs, quinoa, coconut oil and walnuts! :)
The cookbook sounds awesome. I do use these ingredients, but I have to say, not every day. I know Kelly’s mom and she is very proud of her enterprising daughter. Thanks for publishing this recipe. I am entertaining family from out of town this weekend (Valentine’s Day) and this sounds like a winner for dinner.
I use all of these super foods minus the kale and sweet potatoes. This recipe looks amazing and would introduce me more to kale! Thanks!!
My fiance and I cook with all the superfoods, we use quinoa, kale, greek yogurt and honey the most
i use 7/10 of the superfoods almost everyday. One example would be a quinoa-shrimp-eggs-avocado-tomato mix over a bed of shredded kale and sprouts. With a lemon-garlic Greek yogurt dressing.
Love it! We use coconut oil every day, blueberries, kale and quinoa are always on my list as well!
I use most of those superfoods regularly, partivularly chick peas as im vegetarian, and coconut oil in baking. My 3 year old regularly asks for chock peas as asnack, which she devours like they are lollies!
I use all superfood listed here!
I’d love to win a copy! I use all of them actually but not walnuts.. would love to learn how!
When the cook and the dish washer are one and the same person, those one skillet meals are life savers! We love all of the superfoods, but some I have to sneak into meals.
I use all of those superfoods! I’m especially fond of blueberries and Greek yogurt (or blueberries IN Greek yogurt!) Also I want to say that your pictures are always so stunning! My mouth is watering just looking at this orzo.
We love super foods! Use 7 regularly!
Love cooking with quinoa!!! Can’t wait to get her book.
I use all of those superfoods!! Go me!! ;)
we use all except for the yogurt. No dairy for us!
We eat all of those. Yummy!
i frequently use Greek yogurt, kale, blueberries
Yes, all!
Kale is a big part of my life, took awhile to learn to cook right and find recipes I loved. Greek yogurt has become a staple. Sweet potatoes for breakfast now. The orzo looks delish! #drooling
I use all regularly except the chickpeas.
I use all these superfoods often, so it would be great to get some new ideas! Thanks for this opportunity! <3
I have used must off the super foods!
Coconut and blueberries are my favorite!!
Oh I want this cook book bad.. I need it. I need new healthy recipes!
I don’t like blueberries, but I love all the rest!
Greek yogurt is one of my go-to staples, especially in dips.
I eat several of those 10 foods. But I’d love to incorporate more!
Wow! So many fantastic flavors … in just 20 minutes?!?! I love this! It’s like comfort food … meets classy cuisine … meets you-can-actually-make-it-before-soccer-practice family meal. No really – I love everything about this! Oh – plus it’s absolutely gorgeous! :D
In our house, whoever cooks doesn’t have to clean up! A good deal for me as I mostly do the cooking.
The only superfood I don’t use is Walnuts as for some reason I have developed an allergy to them.
Everything except quinoa… Which I am dying to try! Would love a copy!!
I’ve been using all of the superfoods and would love some fresh recipes to get excited about cooking again!
I use everything except coconut oil…I don’t like coconut flavor so I have been hesitant to use it…it is on my list of things to do though! I LOVE Kelly’s recipes and how easy they are to follow….I would love to have her cookbook! Thanks for getting her more out there…her food is really and healthy! She puts a lot of thought into her recipes !
Thus recipe looks amazing! I can not wait to try it. My boys love sweet potatoes so I try to incorporate those into as many meals as possible. I like to eat quinoa so I love to have a variety of recipes to mix up the super grain!
Awesome recipe! Would wine go well with the dish? :)
In my world Agness, wine goes with anything :) A crisp Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc would be idea.
I love super foods!!! I use sweet potatoes, blueberries, eggs, honey, coconut oil, and greek yogurt regularly!!
I love Nosh and Nourish. When I see her accomplishments and successes on facebook, it makes me cheer right along with her whether she knows it from my like count or anonymously. I am rate full for her honesty and approachable personality. She has longtime been a source of inspiration in and out of the kitchen, and is a source of beneficial entertainment for me. When I discovered Kelley I was at the point in my food and life journey where I was making everything from scratch you can think of exclusively for about a year except noodes. My italian grandma who rooted us here wouldnt like that sentence. Point is, the lasting impact Kelley and her simplified approach had on my kitchen is wonderful, energizing and permanent. Every item or meal has a “super food count” challenge and she helped channel my motivation into getting delicious results from enhancing foods that we already ate. Instead of a BLT this morning it was homemade bread with substitutions and ins including coconut oil, flax and chia. Lettuce is always kale now, and when roasting cthe chicken breast last night garlic was diced and tossed with the dry rub. I sent a breakfast with a good looking count as well. Mixed in with wg oats soaking overnight in part whole milk part vanilla flax milk (trying it out, new at our store and 2 for 4$) was flax meal, chia and wheat germ. AA organic Butter and bananas quickly Carmelized with vanilla and brown sugar to creare a bananas foster taste.
Pasta last night (my pot is vegetarian, my loves had the sausage) contained kale, garlic and tomatoes. They sat on wg rotini, topped with a sauce made of milk, butter, flour, garlic salt, Gruyere and Parmasean. Walnuts topped our broccoli salad, and strawberries were our side. We roasted yellow squash and carrots with salt, pepper, paprika and coconut oil. I’m trying to improve themes with my.meals instead of random dishes which may war with each other on the play in field if taste buds, but Kelley is instrumental in any success I have had. Don’t Even GET Me STARTED on how she has inspired me to use quinoa! I would love to have her book,and later when I have capital I will contribute and purchase some (I can tell there will be many). I am grateful for her introduction to this blog as well, great job on the first impression- I can’t wait to peruse through your posts to choose something good and good for us to enjoy at home! No time to edit my novel here, just stopping to say I appreciate yall’s efforts. They make a healthy impact :)
We love all of the superfoods, we eat them all. Love experimenting with Quinoa! Thanks for all the yummy recipes.
All of them except Kale, thyroid problem and not supposed to eat Kale
I have all of those superfoods stocked, so I am patting myself on the back!
Love Kelly and FG you did such a wonderful job showcasing one of the recipes.
I currently have chick peas, coconut oil, eggs, sweet potatoes and (spinach in lieu of Kale-as I like fresh kale from the local farms-tis not the season at this time)
A copy of the cookbook would be wonderful.
Even better, I have another great foodie to follow
<3
what a great way to use orzo and i love that it is all in one dish
This looks seriously delicious and moreish!
I love one-pot meals, and so does my husband… If I make dinner, he cleans!
i have at least one of the super foods every day. This recipe sounds great!
We eat all of those superfoods! Can’t wait to check out this cookbook.
This looks amazing! Stopping by from CrazyforCrust recommendation! Great photos, this recipe looks like a winner!
Thanks Alyssa, I appreciate it!
I had to get on here and say – this was mind blowingly AMAZING. Everyone at the dinner table just kept looking at each other and saying how DELICIOUS it is! The balsamic and the shrimp and fire roasted tomatoes and OH! you’ve created a DELICIOUS dish here, Gerry! Thaaaaaaank you for sharing! Making it again this week!
So glad to hear that Jessica, actually I can’t take the credit, I was just recreating the recipe for a friend but I’ll let her know and she’ll be so happy!!
This totally defeats the super foods theory but I wanted to say I just saw this post last night and the pic looked delicious. Didn’t want to go to the store with a 2 yr old so i substituted some ingredients and got an excellent outcome besides by husband giving me a hard time for actually only having a fraction of what the recipe called for. Here were my substitutions. :
No coconut oil so I used just a little butter
No kale so I used spinach
No fire roasted tomatoes so I used a jar of my homegrown tomatoes that I had stewed and canned with a little crushed red pepper for spice
No orzo so I used whole grain penne—and the flavor was still so delicious my husband didn’t even realize it was whole grain!
Genius Danielle, that’s what cooking is all about, having the confidence to adapt :)
This recipe does taste good, but I’d wait to add the shrimp until about 5 minutes before it’s done (otherwise you’ll end up with tiny little shriveled things like I did). Enjoy!
What a gorgeous dish, G! I’m on a real shrimp kick lately, and this is perfect!
This sounds delicious! I absolutely use these superfoods, most frequently the coconut oil. I use it for everything. I don’t even own butter anymore. This sounds like an exciting cookbook! Thanks again!
Update* i made this for dinner tonight; it isn’t my favorite. I, like someone else mentioned, had overcooked shrimp. I found it to be a little too vinegary so would probably cut that by half, and use a little less garlic.
Thanks for the feedback Sara, it’s really important for other readers to be informed because not everyone’s tastes are the same. I appreciate it :)
Looking forward to making this recipe.
One of my new favorite foods to cook with is quinoa. Very tasty.
This recipe was very disappointing. The ingredients sounded wonderful. All things I love.
I should have known better than to add 1/3 cup of olive oil to the sauce after already using coconut oil in the beginning. The whole dish was so oily I had to doctor it up with twice as much broth and two cups of milk to cut the oil.
This was literally one of the worst meals I have ever made!
WAY too much balsamic!!! Is that a typo?! It ruined the whole dish. Would be good without the balsamic or a teaspoon of it.
This is amazing. Easy to make. Lots of flavor. Easy cleanup. Doesn’t get much better than this. I added a diced red pepper when I put in the kale. Will make again….soon.
I’ve made this dish about 5 times and really love the bold flavors. I use spinach instead of kale. However, I would highly recommend not adding the shrimp until way later in the cooking process. They do not need 20 minutes to cook.
So glad you like it Annie, great point about the shrimp. I may have used larger shrimp but i should change the wording for readers depending on the shrimp size.
Made this for dinner last night. It came together so quickly and was absolutely delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!
Very nicely done sir. Good solid recipe. I’ve perused a number of your recipes and I’m truly impressed. This one, however, hit a familiar chord with me. I used to serve something very similar to this in a restaurant where I was the executive chef. The only two things that I did differently was that I used Tuscan Kale. It’s darker, slightly thinner and much more tender than curly kale. It also cooks quicker so it needs more attention and a change of cooking times. If over cooked, it quickly loses its tender-crispness. The other thing that I’d do is to toast my orzo. It adds color and a slightly nutty flavor to any dish. Keep up the good work.
Good tips for the kale and orzo!!