This tomato and bacon orzo is the kind of dinner that will have everyone running into the kitchen and asking what makes it smell so good. Orzo is cooked plain in tomato sauce, absorbing all the bacon flavor, and finished with a dollop of sun-blushed tomatoes and creamy crumbled cheddar cheese. It has a nice risotto-like comfort, but without the need for standing or stirring. Just give it a good stir here and there, and your pot will be bubbling with delightful tomato orzo and dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes.
nicky’s memo
Orzo is so underrated! It makes a great alternative to risotto and can also be cooked directly into sauces. That means you get to soak up all the amazing flavors. Bacon, sun-red tomatoes, and chunks of crumbled cheddar cheese also add a bit of flavor as you eat them. It’s so delicious!
Bacon does a lot of the heavy lifting in this recipe. When you first fry it, it’s crunchy and a little salty, but the flavor stays in the pan and transfers to the garlic, tomatoes, stock, and orzo.
My little favorite here is the sun-kissed tomatoes. It adds a sweet, tangy richness that makes the whole dish taste like it was cooked on the stove for longer than it actually was. And what about cheddar cheese? It has a comfortable finish. The little lumpy lumps melt into the warm orzo, yes please 😋.
📋 Tomato and bacon ingredients orzo
***Full recipe with detailed measurements is provided in the recipe card below***
EG potato starch gives it a crispy texture. Also, if you have multiple material photos, add an H3 heading to each one.
Exchange of ingredients
If you have striped bacon, you can swap it out for back bacon, but striped bacon will give you the best crispiness and flavor. Pancetta also works beautifully.
For a vegetarian version, use chopped vegetarian sausage or a vegetarian bacon-style alternative and replace chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Sun-kissed or sun-kissed tomatoes add a beautiful, intense flavor, but if you want something a little more tender and sweet, chopped roasted peppers are a good alternative.
🧑🍳 Shortened recipe
***Full recipe with detailed instructions is in the recipe card below***
Fry the bacon until crispy and remove, leaving the bacon grease behind. Add garlic, canned tomatoes, stock, orzo, tomato puree, and seasonings, cover and simmer until orzo is tender. Stir together spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped bacon, then finish with crumbled cheddar cheese.
recipe tips
Stir the orzo a few times while cooking. Simmering in sauce takes a little longer than boiling water, but stirring helps ensure that the food cooks evenly without sticking to the bottom of the pot.
It’s rich, tomato-y and flavorful, with smoky bacon, sweet-sour sun-blush tomatoes, and every forkful of tender bites of orzo. The cheddar cheese melts in enough quantity to provide a creamy pocket without overpowering the sauce.
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📺 See how to make
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
1 tablespoon oil
Add bacon and fry until crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from skillet, leaving behind oil. Reduce the heat to low.
200 g (7 oz) streaky bacon
Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the canned tomatoes, stock, orzo, tomato puree, salt, and pepper.
2 cloves of garlic, 400 g (14 oz) can of finely chopped tomatoes, 360ml (1 1/2 cups) chicken stock, 200 g (7 oz) dried orzo, 1 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste) 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until orzo is heated through, 12 to 14 minutes.
While the orzo is cooking, finely chop the bacon.
Once the orzo is cooked, remove the lid and stir in the spinach, sun-scorched tomatoes, and cooked bacon.
100 g (3.5 oz) baby spinach, 250 g tanned/sun-soaked tomatoes in oil
Sprinkle crumbled cheddar cheese on top and serve.
100 g (3.5 oz) cheddar cheese
Make it vegetarian: Instead of bacon, use chopped vegetarian sausage or a vegetarian-style bacon substitute. Replace chicken stock with vegetable stock.
calorie: 695kcal | carbohydrates: 60g | protein: twenty fourg | fat: 42g | Saturated fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated fats: 6g | Monounsaturated fats: 18g | Trans fat: 0.1g | cholesterol: 58mg | sodium: 1835mg | fiber: 7g | sugar: 5g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as a rough guide.
This tomato and bacon orzo recipe was first posted in July 2026.
🍽️What to serve it with?
This is a meal on its own, but I love it with something fresh and crunchy.
Serve with some homemade garlic bread to mop up the tomato sauce, or if you want something lighter, add a simple green salad.
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