Creamy Mushroom Orzo with Ricotta
Enjoy this Creamy Mushroom Orzo with Ricotta, a hearty vegetarian orzo recipe on the table in less than thirty minutes. Serve as a main or side dish.
Tis the season for savory, comforting pasta dishes! We’re on an orzo roll this month, because orzo is so easy to make. In this recipe, meaty mushrooms are cooked to a caramelized perfection. We deglazed them in white wine, tossed in butter, and served with aromatic garlic and shallots. Wow, so good.
Creamy Mushroom Orzo with Ricotta
This Mushroom Orzo recipe is a great, meatless dinner, or if you want to add protein, it’s delicious with chicken, shrimp, or beef.
Why we love this dish
This dish is super easy to make, and loaded with flavor. It’s savory, with melted Parmesan, and garnished with cooling thyme, and a creamy, sweet, chilled ricotta.
- We also love this dish as a side recipe, because it’s vegetarian and great for company!
- It’s ready in thirty minutes or less, very creamy, rich, cheesy and full of flavor.
- Let’s just say, this dish is always gone just as quick as it was served!
Gather ingredients for Mushroom Orzo
- Mixed mushrooms: we used oyster, Maitake, beech (substitute crimini)
- Neutral oil: avocado or grape seed oil
- Salt and pepper to season
- Dry white wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Shallots + garlic
- Orzo pasta – we buy Delallo brand
- Broth: chicken or vegetable broth
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Lemon
- Ricotta
- Fresh thyme
What is orzo
Orzo pasta means ‘barley’ in Italian, and is a rice-shaped pasta made from wheat. It is a cut of pasta that can be used in soup, stews, casseroles, and salad recipes!
How do you make creamy orzo with mushrooms
- Cook half of the mushrooms in hot neutral oil. Toss to coat in the oil and make sure all of the pieces have surface contact with the pan, then lower the heat to medium-high, season with salt and pepper, and let sit. Stir and continue cooking until shrunken in size and browned, 8-10 minutes. Add white wine, scrape any brown bits from the bottom and stir in 1 Tbsp butter. Transfer to a bowl and repeat for the second batch.
- NOTE: If you notice the mushrooms are darkening too quickly, reduce the heat.
- Transfer all mushrooms and brown bits to a bowl.
- Heat a pan to medium-low, add the olive oil, garlic, shallots, and black pepper. Sauté until translucent then stir in the orzo and sauté. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer.
- Lastly, stir in the mushrooms and Parmesan cheese until warmed and melted.
How do you serve Creamy Mushroom Orzo?
Serve warm, with dollops of ricotta and fresh thyme.
Delicious served as a main dish or a side dish with your favorite protein.
Tips and substitutions:
One of the awesome things about this recipe is its minimal fuss. You get the same gorgeous flavours and texture of a risotto, without having to slave over the stove slowly adding liquid.
Orzo is essentially tiny bits of pasta, and like many other pastas, you can get away with cooking it straight in the liquid without spoiling the texture.
- You can also add chicken and turn this into a main dish!
- Substitute the ricotta cheese for burrata cheese, or just add more Parmesan cheese on top.
- Use your favorite herbs: thyme, rosemary, basil.
- Try different varieties of mushrooms!
Looking for more great side dishes?
Orzo Salad with Lemon and Butternut Squash
ENJOY!
Get the Recipe:
Creamy Mushroom Orzo with Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb mixed mushrooms, like oyster, Maitake, beech (substitute crimini), torn (or cut) into 1/2’’ thick pieces
- ¼ c neutral oil, avocado, grape seed, divided
- Salt and pepper to season
- ½ c dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris
- 2 Tbsp butter, divided
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium-large shallots, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb orzo pasta, 2 1/2 cups
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 heaping c grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Ricotta to serve
- Thyme to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large 10’’ skillet over high heat. Once very hot, add 2 Tbsp neutral oil, then add half the mushrooms. Toss to coat in the oil and make sure all of the pieces have surface contact with the pan, then lower the heat to medium-high, season with salt and pepper, and let sit, undisturbed, for 1-2 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and continue cooking until shrunken in size and browned, 8-10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of white wine, scrape any brown bits from the bottom, 1 minute, then stir in 1 Tbsp butter. Transfer to a bowl and repeat for the second batch.
- NOTE: If you notice the mushrooms are darkening too quickly, reduce the heat.
- Transfer all mushrooms and brown bits to a bowl.
- Heat the pan to medium-low, add the olive oil, garlic, shallots, and black pepper. Sauté until translucent, 10 minutes, then stir in the orzo and sauté, 2 minutes more. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer 10 minutes.
- Stir in the mushrooms and Parmesan cheese until warmed and melted.
- Serve warm with dollops of ricotta and fresh thyme.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
