Hello,
Yes, you could use a darlington transistor, or alternatively a power MOSFET with a suitable maximum current rating, provided it is capable of fully switching with an input level of less than 5 volts.
For either method, if switching operation is infrequent relative to the switching time, dissipation should not be a major issue. Both methods will also require suppression of inductive voltage surges. The simplest method is to use a diode in parallel with the solenoid winding. The diode should have a repetitive peak current rating equal or greater than the solenoid operating current.
If the MOSFET solution is used, a small series resistance in the gate circuit will limit the charging current into the gate-source capacitance, to be supplied by the MCU pin.
Regards,
Mac