As an Italian, I am often overcome with a strong craving for certain Italian flavors. For me, this is the combination of beef, garlic, onions, tomatoes and parm. Spaghetti, meatballs, stuffed shells and lasagna all come to mind, but if these cravings visit on a busy weeknight… I am making this ground beef and orzo skillet…
This skillet is filed with ground beef, garlic, onions, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and orzo and it gives all of those comforting, cozy vibes in just around 30 minutes.
This recipe creates a big skillet that easily feeds 8 or creates a weeks worth of meal preps for me and my husband. It it super easy to cut in half if you just want to make dinner for tonight, but I always make the full batch to make sure we have delicious leftovers all week long.
Let’s get started…
Begin by browning 2 pounds of ground beef over medium to medium high in a large skillet. As you brown the beef, break it down into small pieces and generously season with garlic powder, onion powder and dried Italian herbs.
Transfer the beef onto a plate and set aside for now.
Sauté a large diced yellow onion, 4 cloves of finely minced garlic and a large diced sweet pepper in the beef fat until they are nice and tender (about 5-7 minutes) and then stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs and salt and black pepper.
Add the browned beef back into the skillet along with 15 ounces of crushed tomatoes, 15 ounces of tomato purée, 2 cups of beef broth and 8 ounces of dried orzo or 1 1/4 cups.
Mix everything well and then bring the mixture up to a simmer.
Cover the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
Note: It may seem like you have too much liquid at first, but the orzo will soak some of it up and the rest of it will thicken up into a beautiful sauce. Trust me.
Right before you dig in, stir in some fresh parsley and parmesan into the mixture and get ready to enjoy some truly delicious comfort food.
This Italian beef and orzo skillet is just perfect. So cozy, packed with flavor and if you have some great crusty bread, you won’t even need silverware…
Italian Beef & Orzo Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 large sweet bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs
- salt and black pepper
- 15 ounces of crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounces of tomato puree
- 2 cups of beef broth
- 8 ounces of dried orzo (1 1/4 cups)
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup of parmesan, finely shredded
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 pounds of ground beef and season generously with garlic powder, onion powder and dried Italian herbs
- Cook the beef until it is browned all over and broken down into small pieces
- Transfer the beef onto a plate and set aside for now
- Add a large diced yellow onion, 4 cloves of minced garlic and a large diced sweet pepper and sauté until softened
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper
- Add the brown beef back into the skillet along with 15 ounces of crushed tomatoes, 15 ounces of tomato purée, 2 cups of beef broth and 8 ounces of dried orzo, cover the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes
- Once the orzo is tender, stir in some finely chopped parsley and about a cup of finely shredded parmesan
- Enjoy!
