Parmesan Mushroom Orzo is perfect to serve as a side dish or as a meatless dinner. Tender orzo pasta is made delicious with sautéed shallots, mushrooms, and plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese. This dish is simple, yet oh so satisfying!
For more pasta side dish ideas, check out out Mediterranean Orzo Salad, Mac and Cheese, and Gnocchi.
Delicious Orzo Side Dish
This Parmesan Mushroom Orzo is perfect for busy weeknights! It’s SO easy to make – from start to finish, this recipe will take you less than thirty minutes. Plus, the results are always so worth the minimal effort you have to put into this homemade pasta dinner.
The only step of this recipe that actually requires a little effort might be grating the cheese or slicing the veggies while the pasta cooks. Just play some music and enjoy a glass of wine as you go and the time will fly by!
Parmesan Mushroom Orzo is ideal for those nights when you’re craving some comfort food. Whether you make it your entree on a meatless Monday or plate it next to the protein of your choice, it’s sure to bring some comfort to your evening. After all, aren’t pasta dishes perfect for warming your body and soul?!
I originally made this dish years ago as a side for my entree, but I (along with the rest of my family) quickly realized that it was filling and tasty enough to stand on its own.
You’ll love how short the list of ingredients is here. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly recipe, you’ve found it! You only need seven inexpensive ingredients to make this orzo. The best part? You likely already have most of (if not all) of those pantry staples in your kitchen right now.
If you’re feeling a little fancy and want to add another flavor to the mix, toss in a teaspoon or two of truffle oil. I love truffle, so I like to use my oil whenever I can!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Orzo – This dish is pretty filling! A 16 oz. container of dry orzo will yield about 8 cups of cooked pasta.
- Olive Oil – Try to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- Baby Bella Mushrooms – Keep in mind that baby bella mushrooms and cremini mushrooms are the exact same thing! If you can only find cremini mushrooms at your grocery store, that’s perfectly fine.
- Shallots – In a pinch, thinly sliced yellow onions will also work and add 1 small garlic clove.
- Seasonings – I like to keep things simple with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can add more flavor with something like garlic powder if you’d like – just keep in mind that a little tends to go a long way.
- Parmesan Cheese – For the best flavor and consistency, you must grate the parmesan cheese yourself! Pre-shredded parmesan cheese contains an anti-caking powder that prevents the cheese from melting smoothly.
- Truffle Oil – If you don’t like the taste of truffle, don’t use this ingredient. If you’re a truffle lover like me, stir some in a little at a time until you reach the desired potency.
How to Make Parmesan Mushroom Orzo
You’ll love how quick and easy this orzo recipe is!
Cook the orzo.
Follow the package instructions to cook the orzo. Once cooked, drain it and place it in a large mixing bowl or even right back into the pot it was cooked in.
Stir the grated parmesan cheese in with the orzo while it’s still hot. Mix well until the cheese is melted.
Sauté the veggies.
Make the most use of your time by preparing the mushrooms and shallots while the orzo is cooking. Peel and thinly slice the shallots and rinse and thinly slice the mushrooms.
Add a little olive oil to a pan over medium heat and cook the onions until softened. Then stir in the mushrooms, season, and continue to stir occasionally until the mushrooms are cooked.
Combine everything and serve.
Add the cooked veggies to the bowl with the cheesy orzo and mix well. Do a taste test to see if you’d like to add more salt and pepper. If you’re using truffle oil, stir in a little bit at a time until you reach your desired level of potency.
Frequently Asked Questions:
While this side dish is pretty good reheated, it’s definitely best served when it’s been freshly made. If you are planning to reheat it, you can add a couple of tablespoons of broth and some more cheese to refresh it and keep it from drying out.
You will get about 6-8 servings since we are using a whole 16 oz package of orzo.
Of course! If you love parmesan cheese, you can add another 1/2 cup or so.
Yes, fresh grated parmesan is pretty much a must because it will melt the nicely mixed with hot pasta. You can buy freshly grated parmesan in the cheese or deli section of many grocery stores if you don’t want to grate it yourself off the block.
This side dish is actually not meant to be like pasta with sauce. It’s still a pasta side dish flavored with sautéed mushrooms and onions and parmesan cheese. If you’re looking for something more saucy, check out my Cacio e Pepe.
Parmesan Mushroom Orzo
Ingredients
- 16 oz dry orzo
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz baby bella mushrooms
- 2 medium shallots
- Salt
- pepper
- 1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1-2 tsp truffle oil optional
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to the package instructions, drain and place in a large mixing bowl or back into the empty pot. Immediately add freshly grated parmesan cheese into the bowl with pasta before pasta cools. Mix well until cheese is melted and pasta is all coated.
- While pasta is cooking, you can prepare mushrooms and shallots. Peel and thinly slice shallots. Wash and thinly slice mushrooms.
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add olive oil.
- Add onions and sauté until softened. Add mushrooms, season with some salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms are done.
- Add cooked mushrooms and shallots to the bowl with parmesan orzo. Mix well. Taste to see if you need more salt. Stir in truffle oil, if using, and remember that truffle oil is quite potent, so start with 1 tsp and taste to see if it's enough before adding more.)(If you feel like you need to, you can add a dash of olive oil to the pasta.)
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on November 15, 2015.
Liz says
Love all your recipes. Thank you.
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Liz!!
Michele says
This was so good! I didn’t have any truffle oil on hand but even without it, it was very good. Thank you.
LyubaB says
Thanks, Michele! So glad you liked it!
Carol says
I used 16 oz of dry orzo, it wasn’t cheesy, I added twice as much cheese, not sure what I did wrong, a bit dry.
TN Food Gal says
Made this delicious orzo recipe last evening and will definitely make it often in the future. Can imagine how tasty it will be as a side for a variety of meats. Truffle oil was too pricy for us, so substituted EVOO.
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it!