I don’t know what it is about orzo, but it just fascinates me. It’s pasta…but is it rice? Is it pasta-rice? Rice-pasta? “Rice-sta?” It doesn’t matter ultimately because it’s small, firm and goes well with most anything.
Make this for dinner as a really great vegetarian meal or use as a side dish! Either way, this orzo pilaf really hits the mark. I was looking for a recipe that used chicken broth, since I had so much leftover from dinner a few nights prior. I found this recipe that used that and my favorite kind of mushrooms: shiitakes! This was a surprisingly filling and super easy weeknight dinner!
Little mushrooms swimming in broth
Liquid is cooking out
Ingredients:
- 1 (3.2-ounce) package shiitake mushrooms
- Cooking spray
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 2 teaspoons instant minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
- 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (I used poultry seasoning instead)
Voilà!
Directions:
Clean mushrooms and then discard stems. Slice caps into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Melt butter in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in orzo and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes or until orzo is tender and liquid is almost absorbed, stirring frequently. Gently stir in pepper and seasonings. Serve immediately.
I love shiitakes too. I came across orzo relatively late in the game and I always use it in place of pasta rather than rice. I love how cheap it is as feels a little fancy.
Orzo is a great substitute for rice if you’re looking to dress up a meal a bit!