A perfect 20-minute dinner! Chickpeas and orzo in a luscious, creamy, max-flavor tomato sauce.
Marry Me Chickpeas and Orzo
This recipe is sponsored by DeLallo! ♡
Marry Me Orzo Is So Good.
The last time I made this, I think I ate half of the batch by myself.
Here’s what makes this so good, for me:
- The flavors of shallot, garlic, thyme. Mic drop.
- A tomato cream sauce.
- Little chewy, carby, textured bits that are delightfully all the same size – the orzo and the chickpeas just WANT to be together.
The way it clings together, the luscious creaminess, max flavor with the shallot, garlic, and fresh thyme. UGH.
We use DeLallo products all over the place in this kitchen – I always love their orzo (and my friend swears by their GF orzo) and their Castelvetrano olive oil in the squeeze bottle. But for this recipe I also really love all their little jarred tomato products as an add-in – the sun-dried tomatoes if you want to keep it classic to the Marry Me flavor profile, but also the fresh tomato bruschetta (personal fave), the calabrian chiles for something different, or the roasted tomatoes for a chunkier option.
Guys, a bonus that deserves mention: this comes together in practically 20 minutes. Maybe 30, tops. It’s easy, minimal cutting board activity, but still plenty of veg and protein in there. This girl is a teeny bit fancy but she’s also weeknight-ready.
Hope you love it.
(If you want an option with another protein – like chicken – the original Marry Me Chicken is here for you!)
Watch Me Make This Recipe
Marry Me Chickpeas and Orzo
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A perfect 20-minute dinner! Chickpeas and orzo in a luscious, creamy, max-flavor tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Marry Me Orzo
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (this is the one I use)
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup orzo (love this DeLallo orzo!)
- 3 cups chicken broth (I use 3 cups water + 3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon)
- a small bundle of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Optional Add-Ins and Toppings
- 1/4 cup jarred sun-dried tomatoes, tomato bruschetta (my favorite!), Calabrian chiles, or similar
- 1–2 cups fresh spinach, torn into pieces
- parmesan, red pepper flakes, and more thyme for topping
Instructions
- Aromatics and Chickpeas: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and the garlic; sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the chickpeas and tomato paste; sauté for another 2-3 minutes until it has developed a deeper red color.
- Cook Orzo: Add the orzo, chicken broth, and thyme sprigs; bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 7-9 minutes.
- Finish Sauce: Remove the thyme sprigs. Keep the heat on low. Stir in the cream and simmer for 2-3 more minutes, until it’s totally luscious and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more cream if you want.
- Add-Ins: Add your sun dried or fresh tomatoes and spinach, and stir them in until the spinach is wilted. Serve sprinkled with fresh herbs (I like thyme) and Parmesan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: marry me pasta, marry me orzo, vegetarian marry me recipe
More Delightful Orzo Recipes
Thanks to DeLallo for sponsoring this recipe!
Filed Under: All Recipes Dinner Kid-Friendly Legume Pasta Quick and Easy Recipes Stovetop Tomato Vegetarian
July 22, 2025
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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This sounds delicious, but can I make a vegan version? Vegetable broth for sure, but what would substitute best for the heavy cream? Would love to try this in a vegan version.
Hello! I just bought some dairy-free heavy cream this past weekend at Fresh Market! Califia Farms brand. I usually just use coconut milk for any recipe that calls for heavy cream, and it works great! You can also get unsweetened coconut cream.
I just wanted to share that i just made this subbing your good friends scape pesto recipe in and it was SO good! I know it’s a monster change but I used your method!