Orzo with Peas, Spinach and Parmesan

I’ve been eating a lot of soup the last few weeks. This is my last week of grad school and it has been busy to say the least. Soup is my go-to meal for busy weeks since I can make one batch and just re-heat it each night. Luckily I love soup, so that works out pretty well but eventually you get to the point where it would be nice to eat with a fork.

I didn’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, but I wanted to whip up something tasty and comforting and this definitely fit the bill. This orzo dish came together in no time and is really creamy, even though it’s made with broth not cream. I put peas and spinach in here, but you could certainly throw in addition vegetables if you’d like.

I served this as the main dish, but it would be a great side too. If you have leftovers, I suggest adding a splash of milk to the pasta before you re-heat it. Pasta sometimes gets dry in the fridge and the milk will help the leftovers stay creamy.

Orzo with Peas and Spinach

Ingredients

2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz. orzo
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
8 oz. fresh spinach
2-3 tbsp parmesan cheese (or more if desired)
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes then stir in the garlic and orzo. Continue stirring for 1-2 minutes.
Add the broth and cook until the orzo absorbs the broth, about 15 minutes. Add the spinach and frozen peas and stir until the spinach wilts and the peas are hot. Stir in the Parmesan cheese then salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Makes: About 3 servings as the main course, about 5 as side dish

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking

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6 Responses

Yummy! I absolutely love orzo. It’s by far my favorite pasta. And adding some veggies to the mix with some parm sounds like the perfect meal. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the idea