I always have pasta in my pantry. Typically also a jar of marinara sauce, some chicken sausage in my freezer, and a bunch of veggies in my fridge. Pasta is the great equalizer because everyone loves it (except my three year old currently), it’s so easy to use up extra vegetables in it, and it’s generally a pretty quick meal. That’s why you see so many pasta recipes here on my blog! And while I almost always have some sort of meat on hand to add to pasta, like our favorite chicken sausage from Costco, pasta is one of the easiest meals to make meatless. I love this parmesan orzo with spinach and mushrooms because it’s so flavorful, the orzo cooks quicker than other pastas, and it’s a great way to incorporate more spinach into your diet.
I used spinach and mushrooms as the primary vegetables in this dish, but it’s also a great pasta to use up whatever sad veggies in your crisper that you need to get rid of before your next grocery run. Kale, zucchini, onions, or cherry tomatoes would all be great additions that would really shine here. Let the pasta and parmesan cheese be your vehicle for any vegetables you want!
It’s also Lent right now, and if you’re Catholic like we are, that means you need a variety of meatless recipes to enjoy on Fridays when we can’t eat meat! There are lots of meatless recipes on my blog, and plenty more on their way. Let this parmesan orzo with mushrooms and spinach clue you in, you don’t need meat in a meal for it to be filling and delicious!
- 1 lb. orzo pasta
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 12 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 10 oz. fresh spinach
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp. milk, cream, or half-and-half
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook orzo according to pasta directions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in the same pot. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, then add spinach and cook until wilted.
- Return orzo to pot and stir to combine. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, oregano, and parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
- Add milk, cream, or half-and-half and stir to combine. If you want more or less liquid in the pasta you can adjust to your taste! I find that the liquid combines with the cheese for a bit of a creamier pasta.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed!
- Enjoy!
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