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    I Made Ina Garten’s Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipe for Shrimp Orzo

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    • I’ve been making Ina Garten’s roasted shrimp and orzo for the past 20 years.
    • The dish only requires a few ingredients and comes together quickly.
    • It’s filling, nutritious, and easily customizable for weeknight dinners the whole family can enjoy.

    I grew up watching the Food Network and always loved Ina Garten for her laid-back attitude and approach to cooking. When I was a 20-something in New York City, I relied on her recipes to transport me to other destinations without ever leaving my apartment.

    For example, I found her roasted shrimp and orzo recipe nearly 20 years ago and have been making it ever since. These days, it’s a go-to for feeding my family of four a quick, nutritious, and delicious meal.

    I love its simplicity, fresh flavors, and the fact that it’s always a crowd-pleaser. Here’s how I make it.

    The recipe only requires a few ingredients.


    A bag of shrimp, a container of dill, a block of feta, a bottle of white wine vinegar, a cucumber, a red onion, a bag of orzo, a bunch of parsley, and a bundle of scallions.

    I substituted lemon with white wine vinegar.

    Lauren Finney Harden

    To make Garten’s roasted shrimp and orzo recipe, which serves six, I grabbed:

    • Kosher salt
    • Olive oil
    • ¾ pound of orzo pasta
    • ½ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • 1 cup of minced scallions
    • 1 cup of chopped fresh dill
    • 1 cup of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • One cucumber
    • ½ cup of diced red onion
    • ¾ pound of feta cheese

    After gathering my ingredients, I realized I forgot to buy a lemon, so I substituted it with white-wine vinegar.

    I started by roasting the shrimp.


    Shrimp spread out on a pan with foil.

    I cooked the shrimp in my toaster oven.

    Lauren Finney Harden

    I used frozen shrimp for convenience, and let them defrost in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. Once I took them out, I patted them dry and tossed them in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

    I spread them out on a pan with foil and roasted them in my toaster oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The recipe says to do this for six minutes, but I did it just a little bit longer.

    Then, I cooked the orzo while I chopped my veggies.


    Chopped parsley, scallion, dill, red onion, and cucumber on a wooden cutting board.

    I chopped all my veggies on a cutting board.

    Lauren Finney Harden

    I cooked the orzo according to the package directions, drained it, and sprayed it lightly with olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.

    While that was cooking, I chopped the red onion, cucumber, parsley, dill, and green onion.

    Next, I made the dressing.


    A bowl of dressing.

    The dressing was easy to make.

    Lauren Finney Harden

    To make this super simple dressing, I mixed white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper together.

    I piled everything into a serving bowl.


    Chopped ingredients on a bed of orzo in a bowl.

    This dish tastes great after marinating overnight.

    Lauren Finney Harden

    I piled the orzo, shrimp, veggies, feta, and herbs on top of the dressing and tossed them all together.

    I often make this recipe the day I eat it, and it tastes amazing when it’s warm and freshly mixed. However, it’s also fantastic once the flavors have had a little while to marinate, so sometimes, I let it sit in the fridge overnight.

    I love how versatile this recipe is.


    Lauren holding up a bowl of roasted shrimp and orzo.

    It’s easy to modify this dish based on what you have on hand.

    Lauren Finney Harden

    One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it can easily be modified. As a mom, I’ve changed the recipe up to suit the tastes of my toddler and preschooler.

    For example, if I want them to eat more veggies, I’ll toss in whatever I have on hand — like red peppers or tomatoes.

    And, I usually pile a scoop of this over spinach or arugula for myself, for an easy boost of greens.

    Overall, this recipe is such a solid base to work from — and one of the easiest ways to get a filling, nutritious weeknight meal on the table that my kids will enjoy.

    This story was originally published on October 7, 2025, and most recently updated on February 10, 2026.

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