Creamy Mushroom Orzo Pasta -

Creamy Mushroom Orzo Pasta

A one-pot recipe for creamy mushroom orzo pasta with spinach and plenty of cheese. A delicious vegetarian pasta dish!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Vegetarian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 914kcal

1 level tbsp butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
500 g / 1.1 lbs of chestnut mushrooms wiped clean then sliced
1 medium brown onion finely chopped
300 g / 1½ cups of orzo dry weight
50 ml / ¼ cup of white wine
3 cloves of garlic finely minced or put through a garlic press
450 ml / 2 cups of vegetable stock
250 ml / 1 cup of single cream half and half cream in the US
3 sprigs of fresh thyme the leaves pulled from the stems and the stems discarded
120 g / 4 cups of baby spinach
50 g / ½ a cup Grana Padano (or parmesan if in the US) finely grated + more for serving
½ teaspoon sea salt divided into two parts
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh parsley for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan.
Add one-third of the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until golden brown, turning once. Repeat for another third then the remaining mushrooms. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside for later.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, and add the chopped onion along with one-quarter teaspoon of salt. Cook the onion over medium heat stirring all the time, until the onion is soft. This will take at least 20 minutes.
Add the orzo to the onion and stir well, then turn the heat up to medium hot and add the wine. The wine should sizzle when it hits the pan.
Cook until the pasta absorbs the wine. Then add the garlic and cook for a minute.
Next, add the stock. Then pour in the cream slowly, stirring whilst you add it. Add the thyme and season with the remaining salt and black pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is nice and creamy and has reduced by almost half. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to stir often to stop the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Now, add the spinach and stir until wilted.
Once the spinach has wilted remove the pan from the heat then stir in the cheese. Once the cheese has melted it is ready to serve.
Serve with chopped parsley, more grated cheese and a little more black pepper.

Leftovers - Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and should be used within two days. I don't recommend freezing this dish.
Sodium - To reduce the amount of sodium in this dish use a low sodium stock.
Nutritional Information - All nutritional information shared is an estimate based on third-party calculations. If calorie count and/or nutritional values are important to you, we recommend putting the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on which brands were used. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for the best results.
Recipe Inspiration - Roughly adapted from this recipe for mushroom orzo by The Kitchn.