Creamy Orzo with Peas and Mushrooms

For an easy and tasty side dish this creamy orzo with peas and mushrooms recipe. Using a few ingredients you can make this spring recipe in about 20 minutes.The orzo pasta noodles are mixed with spring veggies in a creamy asiago cheese sauce. You can serve this as a vegetarian main dish too or add shrimp for a more complete meal.

You might also like this artichoke and olive balsamic pasta recipe!

Spring weather is finally here and that always makes me want to eat more green spring vegetables like peas, asparagus, fresh spinach, etc. So today I made this easy one pot orzo pasta with peas and mushrooms.

I also added asparagus at the last minute and you can add other fresh veggies too. But I would definitely use the mushrooms and peas with creamy pasta.

The delicious flavors of the creamy asiago cheese sauce really brings this pasta and vegetable dish together. You can make this easy spring side dish in the time it takes to cook the pasta. We ate it as a side dish but you can easily eat this as a vegetarian dish or with cooked shrimp or chicken.

And if you are looking for a low carb version of this recipe click here.

Recipe ingredients I used.

The simple ingredients I used for this orzo pasta recipe is orzo, heavy whipping cream, asiago cheese, butter, fresh mushrooms, frozen peas, fresh asparagus, garlic cloves and salt and black pepper to taste. Grated parmesan cheese can be substituted for the asiago.

I used frozen peas because it’s hard to find fresh peas around me. But since Spring is upon us you might be able to find some. And you can substitute a different type of pasta for the orzo if you wish though I like the size for this particular dish.

You can also add a protein to make this dish more of a complete meal. You can add cooked shrimp or cooked chicken at the end if you want.

How to make orzo with peas and mushrooms.

You can make this side dish in the time it takes to make the pasta which is about 15-20 minutes.

1. Cook the orzo according to the package instructions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, get out a large pan and heat to medium high heat. Add the butter and when it’s melted, add the mushroom slices. Turn the heat down to medium heat and saute until the mushrooms are golden brown.
3. Next add the frozen peas and asparagus to the mushroom mixture. Saute for a few minutes until the asparagus starts to soften.
4. Add the heavy cream, minced garlic and grated asiago cheese. Mix well until the cheese has melted and it makes a creamy sauce with the vegetables. Taste and season with salt and black pepper if you want. The cheese may be salty enough for you.
5. Once the pasta is done, drain and add the cooked orzo to the creamy vegetable mixture. Stir well and let cook for a minute or two and then take off the burner and serve. You can add some hot pepper flakes for a little heat or additional cheese if you want. 

Store leftover orzo in an airtight container. Sometimes dishes like this soak up the sauce when it’s refrigerated but it will still be very tasty when you reheat it. I also think this would freeze well if you so wish to freeze a portion.

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How to make make this orzo dish more of a complete meal.

You can definitely eat this orzo dish as a vegetarian main dish or as a side dish. However one night I added shrimp to make this more of a complete meal. It was very tasty and my family loved it.

Just cook the shrimp separately or add the raw shrimp after you make the creamy sauce and cook it for a few minutes before adding the pasta. You can also add cooked chicken like rotisserie chicken at the end.

More delicious spring recipes to try.

Here are few more easy and delicious spring recipes to try.

• lemon greens with chicken peas and rice
• red pepper and shrimp pasta
• garlic veggie pasta with chicken
• air fryer mushroom flatbread
• zucchini or beet hummus
• spring vegetable soup
• pesto broccoli pasta salad

Well I hope you give this orzo with peas and mushrooms dish a try. It really was full of flavor with creamy sauce and vegetables to mixi with the pasta. Enjoy!

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Creamy Orzo with Peas and Mushrooms Recipe

Yield: 4

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This creamy orzo with peas and mushrooms recipe is full of flavor with a creamy asiago cheese sauce and fresh spring vegetables. It only takes about 20 minutes to make and you can add shrimp or chicken if you want.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo pasta, dry
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
• 1 cup chopped asparagus
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces asiago cheese, grated (can sub with parmesan cheese)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat up a large soup pan filled with water and cook the orzo according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile get out a large skillet and heat to medium high heat. Add the butter and when it melts add the mushroom slices and turn the heat down to medium. Continue to saute the mushrooms until they are gold brown.
3. Next add the peas and asparagus. Saute for a few minutes until the asparagus starts to soften.
4. Pour in the cream, crushed garlic and grated cheese. Mix well until the cheese melts and forms a creamy cheese sauce with vegetables.
5. By now the pasta should be done and drained. Then pour the cooked orzo into the skillet with the creamy vegetables. Let it cook for a minute or two and then take it off the stove and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

If you wanted to add shrimp to this dish just add the raw shrimp after you make the creamy sauce and cook it for a few minutes before adding the pasta. You can also add cooked chicken like rotisserie chicken at the end.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 498Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 414mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 16g