Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Orzo
One pan, cozy, and done fast enough for a tired weeknight.
Make this when you want dinner to feel comforting but your energy is low. It’s a one-pan orzo skillet with mushrooms, spinach, and a creamy finish, so you get the cozy vibe of a risotto-style meal without standing over the stove and stirring for ages. The mushrooms do most of the heavy lifting for flavor, and the spinach melts in at the end so the whole dish feels complete without extra effort. It’s not fancy, and that’s the point: warm, filling, and reliable enough for a night when you want something better than takeout but not a project.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz cremini mushrooms — sliced
- 1 unit yellow onion — finely chopped
- 3 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 1.5 cup orzo
- 3.5 cup vegetable broth
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.75 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp dried thyme
- 3 cup baby spinach
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 0.5 cup parmesan cheese — finely grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp butter
Method
- 1 Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and most of their moisture cooks off, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- 2 Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and black pepper for 30 seconds.
- 3 Add the orzo and toast it for 1 minute, stirring to coat it in the pan juices.
- 4 Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- 5 Stir in the spinach, cream, butter, and parmesan. Cook just until the spinach wilts and the sauce looks creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- 6 Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice, and taste. Add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve hot.
Variations
- Faster swap — Use pre-sliced mushrooms and baby spinach, and grate the parmesan ahead of time to shave a few minutes off prep.
- Vegetarian swap — This recipe is already vegetarian; for extra richness, stir in a spoonful of mascarpone or more parmesan at the end.
- Substitutions — Swap cremini mushrooms for white mushrooms or a mix of mushrooms, and use half-and-half instead of heavy cream if that’s what you have.
Notes
For the creamiest texture, keep stirring during the last few minutes so the orzo releases starch and the sauce thickens. If the pan looks dry before the pasta is tender, splash in a little more broth or water.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet with a lid — It gives the orzo enough surface area to cook evenly while keeping the liquid where you need it.
- Wooden spoon or spatula — Frequent stirring helps the orzo cook evenly and keeps the creamy sauce from sticking.
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