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One-Dish Pesto Salmon Bake with Orzo
I’m back with another recipe from my Sunday plan on Substack! Like all my Sunday plan recipes, this salmon bake is designed to make meal prep super easy without sacrificing flavor. If you haven’t checked them out yet, every Sunday plan comes with a full grocery list, prep schedule, and a weeks’ worth of dinner recipes, like this one, to make mealtimes a breeze!
You guys have loved my Balsamic Peach Chicken Flatbread and Hot Honey Peach Burrata Bowls, so I knew I had to share this one on here, too!
This easy dinner recipe is savory, herby, and truly SO simple. Just layer the ingredients in a casserole dish, and let the oven do all the heavy lifting. You’ll have a restaurant-worthy meal on the table in about 40 minutes, and cleanup is easy, too! My kids and I love this one, I especially love is on super busy weeknights when I don’t feel like cooking a complicated meal.
You’ll Also Love: Basil Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Minimal Prep Time – All the ingredients are prepped in about 5 minutes (or less!). Use pre-minced garlic, and you don’t even have to spend time chopping!
- Easy Cleanup – A casserole dish and a bowl are about all you need.
- Healthy + High-Protein Meal – Thanks to the salmon, orzo, and veggies, this salmon bake is a balanced meal with 36 grams of protein.
- Summer Flavors – With bright tomatoes, herbaceous pesto, and salty feta, every bite is perfectly balanced with the most incredible flavors.
RELATED: Pesto Salmon Recipe with Lemon and Basil
Watch How to Make Orzo Pesto Salmon Bake
Ingredients
- Orzo – Orzo looks like rice, but it’s actually a type of pasta! I often use high-protein orzo, but regular works totally fine, too.
- Broth – Chicken or vegetable broth helps cook the orzo, infusing it with savory flavor you don’t get with water.
- Dry White Wine – Just a splash adds brightness and depth to the orzo. You can substitute more broth if preferred.
- Garlic – Using pre-minced garlic is my favorite hack to cut down on prep time!
- Olive Oil – I like to use just a drizzle of olive oil to add peppery flavor and prevent the orzo from clumping and drying out. I don’t recommend using a different type of oil for this recipe.
- Lemon Juice – The acidity helps balance the flavors. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled also works.
- Spices – Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning give the salmon bake a Mediterranean-inspired taste with just a kick of heat.
- Capers – These provide little bursts of salty, briny flavor that pair really well with the salmon and lemon.
- Salmon – I use four salmon fillets that are about 4 to 6 ounces each. Skin-on or skinless both work well. If using skin-on, place the fillets skin-side down in the casserole dish. Take a look at my guide to salmon to learn about the different types and choose what’s best for you!
- Cherry Tomatoes – These become juicy and slightly sweet as they roast. Grape tomatoes work well, too, if you can’t find cherry tomatoes at your local grocery store.
- Feta – Salty and savory with a unique tang, feta adds the best flavor and melts in the oven, becoming soft and gooey.
- Fresh Basil – Scattered over the finished dish, this adds a pop of bright, fresh flavor.
- Pesto Marinade – I make a simple marinade by combining pesto, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and Italian seasoning. I typically use either my basil spinach pesto or easy kale pesto, but store-bought pesto also tastes great.
How to Make This Salmon Bake
This recipe always looks impressive, but it truly couldn’t be easier to make. All you need is a 9×13 casserole dish and a bowl! Here’s how to make this Pesto Orzo Salmon Bake:
- Cook the orzo – Add the dry orzo, white wine, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings to a casserole dish, stirring to combine and coat the orzo. Then, scatter capers on top, cover the dish with foil, and transfer it to the oven.
- Prep the marinade – While the orzo bakes, whisk all the pesto marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add salmon – Remove the foil from the casserole dish, and stir the orzo. Then, nestle the salmon fillets into the orzo. I press them down slightly with my hands!
- Combine ingredients – Top each salmon fillet with the pesto mixture. Then, add the cherry tomatoes to the dish, and place a block of feta in the center. Or, crumble it over the ingredients.
- Bake – Return the dish to the oven, and bake uncovered until the salmon is fully cooked and flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve – Top the dish with fresh basil, and enjoy warm!
Tips
- Cover the orzo tightly. Sealing the casserole dish with foil during the first bake traps the steam, allowing the orzo to cook evenly and absorb all of the flavorful broth.
- Use similar-sized salmon fillets. Choosing fillets that are close in size helps them finish cooking at the same time.
- Don’t overcook the salmon. Bake just until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. It should reach an internal temperature of 145°F and will continue to cook slightly after it’s removed from the oven.
- Leave the tomatoes whole. Whole cherry tomatoes soften and burst naturally as they roast. If they’re chopped up, they tend to become mushy.
- Let the dish rest for a few minutes. Allow the salmon orzo bake to sit for about 5 minutes before serving so the orzo can finish absorbing any remaining liquid and the flavors have time to come together.
RELATED: Baked Salmon Teriyaki Recipe
Variations
Add more veggies. Stir in baby spinach, chopped asparagus, zucchini, or artichoke hearts before the final bake for even more veggies.
Swap the cheese. Goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, or grated Parmesan all make delicious alternatives to feta.
Adjust the heat. Add more red pepper flakes for a little extra spice, or leave them out entirely for a milder dish.
Try a different pesto. Traditional basil pesto is my favorite, but sun-dried tomato pesto, spinach pesto, or arugula pesto all add a fun twist.
Finish with extra toppings. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, or an extra squeeze of lemon juice just before serving for even more flavor and texture.
How to Store
Refrigerator: Once cool, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: You can freeze this one, but honestly fresh is best when it comes to fish recipes. If you do need to freeze it, I recommend keep the salmon separate from the rest of the meal, as it will reheat differently! The best method, if you can, is to thaw them in the fridge the night before and then reheat them separately, combining them at the end.
Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through. Or, reheat leftovers covered in the oven at 325°F. If the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid, stir in a splash of broth or water before reheating to help loosen it up.
Easy Healthy Salmon Recipes
- Salmon Patties
- Salmon Sushi Cups
- Maple Barbecue Salmon
- Harissa Salmon Bites Bowls
- Salmon Tacos
- Orange Ginger Salmon Bowls
More Ways to Use Pesto
- Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
- Farro with Blistered Tomatoes & Pesto
- Creamy Lemon Kale Pesto Gnocchi
- Chicken Tomato Pesto Burrata Pasta
- Spinach Pesto Goat Cheese Individual Pizzas
- Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ Chickpeas & Broccoli Pesto
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Pesto Orzo Salmon Bake Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (or sub more broth)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2-3 Tablespoons capers (drained)
- 4 4-ounce salmon fillets (about 4-6 oz each, skin-on or skinless)
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3-4 ounces feta
- 1/2 cup fresh basil (for serving)
Pesto Marinade
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons pesto
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a 9×13″ casserole dish, combine the dry orzo, broth, white wine, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and scatter capers over the top. Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake covered for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the pesto marinade together.
- Remove the foil and stir the orzo. Nestle the salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skinless or skin-side down into the orzo, pressing them in slightly.
- Top each filet with the marinade mixture, then add in the cherry tomatoes. Place the feta in the center of the dish or crumble over everything.
- Return the dish to the oven uncovered and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily.
- Top the entire dish with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy!
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