Mushroom Spinach Orzo
This easy Mushroom Spinach Orzo is about to become your new favorite side dish! It's serious comfort food, SO flavorful, and made in one pan in just 20 minutes. 😊 You'll need orzo pasta, mushrooms, spinach, broth, parmesan cheese, and Greek yogurt (which gets added at the end for next level creaminess). As a dietitian, I serve it as a side dish with Oven-Baked Chicken Breast, Sage Chicken Meatballs, or Smoked Paprika Salmon.
Equipment
- 1 large skillet with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion, chopped or 1 small yellow onion
- ½ lb mushrooms I use baby bellas (8 oz, about 2 cups chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste (I use ¼-½ tsp)
- 1 cup orzo pasta dry
- 2-2.5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ a large lemon or 1 small lemon
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet, non-stick frying pan, or dutch oven with a lid on medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the diced onion. Saute the onion for 3-4 minutes, until it's starting to soften. Add the minced garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and black pepper. Don't add salt yet. Cook 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are sweating and softened. Now add the salt.
- Add orzo and broth, bring to simmer. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes on medium to medium-low heat until orzo is al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Give it a taste and add more salt as needed. The cooking time will vary a bit based on your stovetop and type of pan. If it looks too dry, add a quarter cup more broth at a time up to half of a cup.
- Turn off the heat and add the spinach, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine until the spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the Greek yogurt, stirring gently until it's dissolved into the pasta. Serve directly from the pan you cooked it in or in a nice pasta dish.
- Hint: stir it every couple of minutes to make sure the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan!
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Chop your mushrooms into similar sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly.
- Adding salt too early when cooking mushrooms will cause them to release their water and steam. Instead, add salt later to give the mushrooms a chance to brown first. You'll end up with much more caramelization and flavor.
- If the orzo and cooked mushrooms are sticking to the bottom of your pan, turn down the heat a bit to medium-low and add an extra splash of liquid, either broth or water.
- If it looks like there's too much liquid, don't worry! It will continue to absorb as the pasta sits.
- Refrigerator - once the pasta has cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on low heat on the stovetop. You may need to add a bit more liquid when reheating to get it back to the right consistency.
- I don't suggest freezing this dish. Unfortunately, freezing it will ruin the texture.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 15gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gFiber: 3gSugar: 5g
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