Creamy Italian Orzo

Submitted by Adopted Parisian

"Orzo is a small Italian pasta that looks very much like rice. This dish is a fabulous blend of creaminess which gently balances the punch of the onion and garlic. Peas and cremini mushrooms are an added surprise in this dish that can be eaten as a side or a main course."

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 lb orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 cup cremini mushroom
• 1 1⁄4 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup canned peas
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• salt, to taste

directions

1. Bring a salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still al dente (slightly firm), stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, saving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the half and half and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove pan from heat. Add parmesan to pasta mixture.
3. Stir pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with desired amount of salt, and serve hot.
4. Chunks of chicken or shrimp could be added if you choose to serve this as a main dish.

Reviews

[cathyloiacono]

This way of cooking orzo was really good. I didn't have half and half, so I used whole milk. It was still creamy and delicious. I also made this as a side to have balsamic chicken thighs which I browned, then simmered in balsamic vinegar. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

 

[adopt a greyhound]

Excellent side dish. Made half the recipe, DH ate three servings and the last one before bed. Served with Balsamic chicken Thighs (71557).

 

[neobella]

I added a little pepper and other spices, but great recipe overall. Thanks for sharing ;)

 

[Kate_8]

Nice flavor, but milder than expected. 1 pound made enough to feed an army! I would say it was 12 servings, not 8. Next time I would decrease the orzo to ½ lb and increase the garlic. Despite using high quality parmegiano reggiano, it still needed quite a bit of salt and pepper. It was easy to prepare and worth making again with some adjustments.

 

[pixieglenn]

This was awesome! We made it for dinner tonight, left out the mushrooms because we dont'like mushrooms, added some baked tofu and it was indredible. Oh, I also added a 1/2 cup of part skim mozzarella (because we love cheese) and used fat free 1/2 and 1/2 to cut down on some of the fat but it didn't detract from the taste at all! Thank you so much:)