Creamy Mushroom Orzo is tender orzo pasta in a rich, cream-based sauce with sauteed Baby Bella mushrooms and parmesan cheese. If you want a little kick to your pasta, add a few red pepper flakes to it! Then, I like to add some chopped parsley and extra parmesan cheese for garnish. It works as a comforting main dish, or as a side dish with roasted meats or grilled chicken. If you are looking for a fun (and flavorful) twist to orzo, you might want to try my Cheeseburger Orzo, too! It’s like the best of both pasta and a cheeseburger in one dish!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter: Some of the unsalted butter is used when cooking the orzo. The rest is added to a separate skillet to saute the onions and mushrooms. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt used in the dish.
- Orzo: Orzo is a type of pasta that looks like big grains of rice. You can substitute it with other small pasta like macaroni or small shells, but be sure to adjust the cooking time! The orzo will be cooked in chicken broth. If you don’t have broth, chicken stock could also work, but it may have a stronger flavor.
- Onion: A diced yellow onion is sauteed with the mushrooms–I like the added flavor and depth the onion brings. If you don’t like onions, you could leave them out, the dish will still be delicious.
- Mushrooms: Baby Bella mushrooms are sauteed with the onions. They are a key ingredient in the dish (of course!)! If you don’t have Baby Bella mushrooms, you can use cremini mushrooms, white button mushrooms, shiitake, or portobello.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy whipping cream (heavy cream) is the base of the sauce, making it nice and creamy. If you want a lighter option, you could use half-and-half, whole milk, or 2% milk.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese helps thicken the sauce and adds flavor. I like to make sure I have extra on hand for sprinkling over my plateful of mushroom orzo! (Yes, I said ‘plateful’–I love this dish and could eat the entire skillet…well, not the skillet itself, you know what I mean!)
- Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes (also called crushed red pepper) can be added for a little kick (and color) to the dish. You can certainly leave those out if you don’t want the spice. Or, add more!
What Are The Best Side Dishes To Serve With Creamy Mushroom Orzo?
Here are some great options to serve with mushroom orzo:
- Roasted vegetables (I think roasted asparagus would be amazing, even IN the dish!)
- Steak bites
- Roasted pork
- Garlic breadsticks (Have you tried my focaccia breadsticks, yet? They are SO good!)
- Wedge salad
Can I Add Protein To This Dish?
Absolutely! If you want more of a complete meal in the orzo, there are a few proteins I would recommend adding. My recommendations would be:
- Grilled chicken
- Shrimp
- Sauteed tofu
- Cooked sausage
- Crispy bacon
- Shredded chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken)
How To Store Creamy Mushroom Orzo
To store mushroom orzo, first, let it cool to room temperature. Then, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a little splash of milk or broth if it is too thick.
Can I Freeze Mushroom Orzo?
Sure! To freeze mushroom orzo, first, let it cool to room temperature. Next, store it in freezer-safe containers or bags. (I like to portion out the orzo so it’s easy to grab just what I need.) When ready to reheat, let the orzo thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The sauce may separate or become slightly grainy when thawed, but the orzo will still be delicious!
Creamy Mushroom Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 ½ cups (204 g) orzo pasta, uncooked
- 3 cups (720 g / 24 ounces) chicken broth
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- parsley, chopped for garnish
- parmesan, grated for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Stir continuously until the pasta is a light golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a low boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed into the pasta, about 12-15 minutes.
- While the orzo is cooking, melt the remaining butter in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the diced onion and sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and the mushrooms are slightly softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the heavy cream, parmesan, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Add the cooked orzo to the cream mixture. Stir to combine.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and more grated parmesan. Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Wow, this is pure comfort food and SO GOOD! I am going to add some asparagus tips to my batch next time. I love this recipe!
Elizabeth
Yum! This mushroom orzo is so good, just the way it is! But, I can see people wanting to add chicken or shrimp to it for a complete meal. It is definitely a recipe worth making.
Annabelle
I am not sure about the red pepper flakes in this, but those can easily be left out. It was really good, otherwise.
Bella
This creamy orzo is fantastic! The mushrooms are the star of the show, and the garlic and Parmesan make it extra flavorful. The texture is perfect, and it’s such a versatile dish.
Selena
So creamy and delicious! The balance of garlic, mushrooms, and Parmesan is spot on, and the orzo is cooked to perfection. A comforting and easy dish that’s great for any night.
Been wanting to try this and boy did I wait too long! Everyone LOVED it! It was fabulous! Will definitely make again.
I would like to make this for my vegetarian daughter. Can I substitute the chicken broth?
If so, what is your recommendation?
The creamy comfort of it and the ease to make it 🙂