I’ve been making so many “one pot” recipes lately that I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve made a good ol’ side dish. Well, I had a bag of orzo sitting in my pantry and baby portobellos were on sale this week, so I whipped up this incredibly easy Parmesan Portobello Orzo.
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The flavors this Parmesan Portobello Orzo are simple. Mushrooms, garlic, chicken broth, and parmesan. Oh, and a little salt and pepper, of course. The beauty of keeping flavors simple is that this side dish can be paired with a great number of things. I planned to eat this with some chicken, but it could just as easily go with a beef roast or pork chops. Or, as I’ve mostly been eating it, just by itself!
This is definitely going to be one of my no-brainer go-to side dishes from now on! I can’t wait to see how many variations I can make of this one simple dish.
Parmesan Portobello Orzo
Servings 6 1 cup eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 8 oz baby portobello mushrooms ($2.19)
- Pinch of salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 2 cups uncooked orzo ($1.50)
- 3 cups chicken broth* ($0.45)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan ($0.55)
Instructions
- Rinse the mushrooms and cut them into thick slices. Mince the garlic. Heat the garlic and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper, and continue to sauté until the mushrooms have softened and released all of their moisture (5-7 minutes).
- Add the uncooked orzo and chicken broth to the skillet. Give it a quick stir, place a lid on top, and let the mixture come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, give it quick stir again to loosen any pasta from the bottom of the skillet. Replace the lid, turn the heat down to low, and let the pasta simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir once half way through to prevent the pasta from sticking.
- After ten minutes, test the orzo to make sure it’s tender (if not, replace the lid and let simmer a few minutes more). Stir the contents of the skillet to redistribute any leftover broth (it will continue to absorb into the pasta). Once the broth has absorbed, turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan over the pasta, stir, and then serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
I added parsley to add color to the photo, but it’s not necessary for the flavor in this dish.
How to Make Parmesan Portobello Orzo – Step by Step Photos
I was lucky enough to get these portobellos on sale, but you can sub regular white button mushrooms if portobellos are out of your price range. You’ll need one 8oz. carton.
Rinse the mushrooms and then cut them into thick slices. Now, you may have heard the “rule” that you’re never supposed to rinse mushroom, but in a dish like this where they will literally be simmering in liquid, it doesn’t really make a difference. Something like a fresh salad, on the other hand, you’ll want to just wipe them off.
Mince two cloves of garlic and sauté them in a large skillet with 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté for another five minutes or so, or until the mushrooms have wilted and released all of their moisture. The mushrooms will absorb the oil at first, but once they start heating, they will start giving off moisture, which will collect in the bottom of the skillet. Once that liquid starts evaporating (becoming LESS), you’ll know the mushrooms have given off everything they’re going to give. Ha.
Add two cups of uncooked orzo (about 1 lb.)…
And 3 cups of chicken broth. Stir the skillet, then place a lid on top. Let the skillet come up to a boil over medium heat. Give it a quick stir to loosen the pasta from the bottom of the skillet, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer on low for about ten minutes, stirring once half way through.
After ten minutes, test the orzo to see if it’s tender. There may be a little broth still pooling in a couple areas, but if you stir the pasta, it will continue to absorb the leftover broth. Once the broth is absorbed, turn off the heat.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup grated Parmesan over the orzo, give it a stir, then serve! Super easy.
Yummmmmm. Makes about 6 loosely packed cups of Parmesan Portobello Orzo.
This was delicious! Added some shredded chicken and it was such a wonderful comfort food dish. Will definitely be making again. I also love how quick and simple it was to make.
I’ve loved this recipe for years but I just want to warn everyone to not use the Barilla chickpea orzo instead of real orzo. I tried that sub today and it turned into mush! Learn from me 😦
Delicious. I cooked chicken thighs following the method from the “one pot lemon chicken and orzo” recipe but seasoned them with dried Italian seasoning. Added white onions with the garlic, spinach at the end, and topped with lots of cheese. Super easy to scale down to one serving, literally a perfect meal. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Thank you for the recipe!
I love this recipe! It was the first one pot orzo recipe I made a while back and with the ratios provided I’ve created my own recipes from this one.
Very good! Added a drained can of chickpeas for fiber/protein, used veggie BTB instead bc I was out of chicken, and added lemon juice because I felt it was missing something (perhaps bc of my substitutions). The sauce everything makes is delicious! Also I used regular portobello mushrooms instead of baby and Stelline pasta instead of orzo. Actually idk why I’m reviewing this recipe at all bc I made so many substitutions, but I guess know that it’s a very forgiving, flexible formula 😅😂.
I’ve made this countless times and always loved the end result. Today I tried boiling the mushrooms rather than the standard sauté. So much more umami. Takes longer, but worth the time.
My husband really liked this recipe!
My husband said this was the best pasta I’ve made in awhile and that the sauce is amazing. When I told him there technically was no sauce, it was just the orzo absorbing the broth, he was floored lol
Needless to say, he’s already asked me to make this again soon :)
Hi everyone, I made this as per recipe, but added baby spinich at the end so it wilted. Will definitely definitely make again. Did not add any meat. Thank you Beth love all of your recipes.
Can you do half of recipe we are only 2 and that is a lot of orzo. Thanks
Yes :)
I made this today. Drained and added in a can of chickpeas along with the orzo and an extra cup of veggie broth to make this a more filling vegetarian dish. Super yum!
Thanks for posting this variation! I always check the comments before I make one of these recipes… and your additions were perfect (vegetarian here too).
This was my first time cooking orzo outside of a soup. Great recipe! I subbed with cremini mushrooms and the orzo really soaked up all the flavours. Thanks for sharing!
« First time I’m doing this recipe and boy, I have to do it again. I have to admit though, I put another ingredient in it that wasn’t there, RED ONIONS. And to be honest, I don’t think it change the taste that much, I just felt that it was missing something. It’s a « great » recipe…! »
Last night we added crushed red pepper flakes to the top for the first time, it added a nice pop of flavor!
SO GOOD
Yum! This is so good!!! I added diced onion sautéed with the mushrooms and Italian turkey sausage at the end to make it more of a main dish but even without those additions, this is an amazing recipe. Just make sure to keep an eye on the orzo so it doesn’t overcook, mine was done in under 10 minutes.
Thanks Alison!
Wow!!! I’m amazed. This was so good, and so easy! Love it.
Thanks! :)
How many people does this serve? Can I take to dinner party and reheat?
I made this today, but I didn’t have orzo so I figured I’d take the risk of a watery mess and added normal pasta. Kinda eyed the stock I put in, but it came out perfect in the end. (I used about 2 cups of pasta and added like 2 1/2 cups of water. Came out delicious.
how would i convert this to an instant pot recipe?
Unfortunately I don’t know. That would take a few rounds of testing to get it right.
So delicious!! I made a double recipe, added about a quarter cup of half and half, and added previously cooked chunks of chicken thighs. So filling and cheap, would absolutely recommend.
This recipe didn’t work at all. It’s a shame, because it sounded delicious. Instead, I got a gluey, half-cooked, yet overcooked, mess. From now on, I’ll just cook my pasta separately, thanks. These one-pot recipes just don’t work very well. I love most of your other recipes, though!
My post was supposed to be five stars. Somehow it changed to three stars. Great recipe.
Thanks, Mary! Sometimes those star ratings have a mind of their own and do wonky things. :P I appreciate you leaving a second rating!
I just made this. It’s my first time making orzo. It tastes great with or without the cheese. I am going to try freezing some. Has anyone else frozen any. Very easy to make. Will definitely make again.
This is excellent! Simple, yet rich and tasty. I’m thinking basil will be a nice topping to it!
This was a great recipe! I toast the orzo first to give it a more nutty flavor. Also, I load this pot with carrots, spinach, onion, and tonight, black beans. It’s one of those fantastic base recipes that you can load leftover veggies. And I feed this to my little kids who love! Thank you for sharing!
This is the first time I’ve made orzo. The addition of garlic, mushrooms and a hint of parmesan, makes this the most wonderful dish. This will be on my weekly side dish calendar. Thanks for this great and easy recipe.
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Fed it to DH as a side dish and he went back for seconds, plus asked for it in his lunch for tomorrow. I added some ground turkey sausage and spinach to mine for a one bowl meal. It was awesome as well. Now my new go to side dish!
I have homemade chicken stock in my freezer. Could I use that?
Yes, that will work. :) If it’s extra thick (a high gelatin content) you may need to add more liquid to fully cook the orzo.
This is delicious. Have made it 2 times and added fresh baby spinach to it also. Yum!!!
Just made this recipe love it :) added fresh parsley in the end on the dish .
Amazing! Great side dish
Made this with the addition of a shallot and some crushed dried rosemary from last years garden.
Extra black pepper.
DELICIOUS.
Hi, Beth (or anyone who knows).
Pardon me if this is a dumb question, but I am new to using bouillon for my broth. For this recipe, do you have to make your broth separately in its own pot (with the bouillon cube and water) or can you toss the water and bouillon cube into the saucepan with everything else, and let it come to a boil?
Not a dumb question. :) For this one I would definitely dissolve the bouillon in the water fully before adding it to the recipe. The bouillon I use is a paste rather than a cube, so it’s really easy to dissolve in hot tap water just before adding to the recipe. With a cube it might take a little more effort (hopefully not a whole extra pot or pan, maybe the microwave?).
Thanks you for the delicious recipe! I added fresh asparagus the last five minutes because I had touse it up. Fantastic and super easy!Beats the package stuff for sure!
I made this tonight as a freezer/pantry meal. I used some sautéed button mushrooms that I had frozen (bought some on clearance a couple months ago), along with a half pound of frozen ground beef. I didn’t have Parmesan, so I used the last 2 Tbsp of Garlic and Herb Aloutte spread I had in my fridge… Served as a main dish and so delicious!
Made this tonight with a couple modifications – diced half an onion to sauté with the garlic, added some browned ground pork before the orzo (hurrah for leftovers), plus some chopped arugula halfway through simmering. Never had orzo before but this was really great, will definitely be making again.
P.S. Thanks for all the simple yet awesome recipes, your site has been a real lifesaver for a student learning to cook for the first time!
Has anyone tried to freeze this? Trying to pre-prepare some dinners and this might be a good one.
Please advise.
I made this recipe thinking it was a main dish, it wasn’t until I actually started cooking I noticed it was supposed to be a side dish. But I kept cooking and OMG it was soo good! I’m always on the hunt for good meatless dishes and this will be a new go-to! Thanks so much Beth!
I think food is pretty fluid between those two categories. I say eat what you want as what you want. ;)
Does this recipe freeze well? I’m trying to make an emergency good food freezer stash for test weeks.
This one will probably be just so-so in the freezer. It will be a bit more dry and less saucy once thawed and reheated.
This is great! Just what I was looking for in a flavorful orzo recipe. I left out the parmesan (don’t care for it) and added spinach in the last five minutes. Very tasty. A couple pats of butter enhance the flavors as well.
I made this tonight and it came out great! I added a package of Sea Pak Shrimp for Scampi, so pre-seasoned with butter and garlic and whatnot. So I took down the amount of broth by about 1/4 – 1/2 cup because it seemed like the shrimp was giving off a bit of liquid as it defrosted. I totally forgot to add the salt & pepper so I did it at the table, and also forgot to add in the greens as I was cooking (I had bought asparagus), but it was still so insanely delicious as a main dish (what can I say, I was drinking wine while I cooked – it happens! :) ). I will absolutely make this again.
I also love the Better Than Bouillon after seeing Beth mention it here. I have a jar of chicken & a jar of veggie in my fridge, it’s so convenient!
So good! I added spinach at the end and then drizzled on some balsamic vinegar. Your recipes are so good!
This orzo was amazing. My boyfriend kept saying it was like the risotto he got in Italy. Yum!
I made this tonight and it was a hit with my family. I followed the recipe EXACTLY…except (you knew that was coming, haha) I used Better than Bouillon veggie broth to make it vegetarian, and at about the 8 minute mark I threw in some chickpeas, some frozen spinach, some carrot, and some zucchini. Also, I added the parmesan directly to our bowls instead of to the pot (my husband at first didn’t want cheese on his, but he added some when he had seconds). Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Would this freeze well do you think? I like making large quantities and freezing portions for a quick lunch later. Sounds DELISH can’t wait to make this!
Yeah, I think this would probably freeze pretty well. :) I didn’t get to try it, though, cuz I gobbled it all up!
Would there be any value in substituting one of the cups of chicken broth for a cup of white wine? Thought it might add some flavour and my wife and I can get good stuff for real cheap!
Yes, that would probably be delicious! You might need to taste and add salt if needed at the end, since broth provides most of the salt for this recipe.
Mushrooms are not my favorite, what could I use instead of mushrooms?
Green peas or asparagus might be nice.
I made this tonight for our dinner as a main course and it is delicious! I added a pinch each of dried rosemary and dried thyme while sauteeing the mushrooms, and stirred in a handful of frozen peas during the last few minutes of cooking. Will be making this again for sure! I think it would be awesome with a bit of shredded chicken or crumbled italian sausage thrown in, too.
I actually found this a tiny bit bland. I love orzo, I love mushrooms, and now that I’ve found Better than Bouillon, I use it instead of boxed broth, and normally it’s great, but it was lacking seasoning. I won’t give up on it, though! I read some good ideas here (Beth, your idea of adding peas sounds great) so I’ll tinker with it.
By the way, does anyone else find BtB a little inconsistent? I’ve gotten jars that were ridiculously salty and jars that seemed to have barely any. And since I can only find the organic one, that’s what I buy. Sometimes the texture seems different too. Or maybe it’s just me.
Thank you so much! I vegetarianised this recipe by cooking in water and adding Biryani Masala to flavour orzo! But, probably, one could cook orzo in vegetable broth.
I made this tonight, but instead of the orzo, I used rice pilaf (minus the seasoning packet). It came out fantastic!!!! For someone else wanting to try, I used the whole 3 cups of broth and had to cook it longer to get it to be not so soupy-like. I’ll be using only 2 cups next time, but this is definitely a keeper!!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
This was delicious! We stirred in some spinach at the end for some greenery. I will definitely make this again.
4 stars because it looks delicious and I will definitely make it. I love orzo. The texture is luxurious. But I’m sure you know and your readers should too, that button (white) mushrooms, crimini, baby Portobello, and Portobello, are all the exact same species at different levels of maturity. So you can often buy the buttons and save even more.
Made this tonight- so good! I served it with peas and a cross rib roast that I had cooked in the crock pot until spoon tender…. I’m fantasizing about how this would be with blue cheese instead of parmesan as a side for steak….. :)
Or gorgonzola!
This looks wonderful! I have used your recipes for almost a year now, I am so thankful for your website. My family has struggled, since I am a full time student and my husband had to take a much lower paying job last year. Since his job change, we have relied on SNAP benefits to put food on the table, and even with those it has been a challenge to keep enough food in the house for our children. I am just so thrilled to be able to use your recipes to make wholesome meals, that don’t taste like budget food at all!
This looks great! I do something similar but I add fresh dill at the end. I also add sausage if I’m making it as a meal rather than a side dish. Mmmm love orzo.
FYI, Baby Portobellos are often sold as Cremini Mushrooms (among other names).
Looks delicious! I love using orzo in side dishes or as a main course.
Could you sub rice for the orzo and what type of rice would you recommend?
You could, but the broth ratio and cooking time may be different, depending on what type of rice you use (check the package instructions on the rice and use broth in place of the suggested water). Wild rice is always good with mushrooms, but tends to be pricier. Regular long grain white rice would still be great!
Looks delicious and so easy. You could easy add some cooked chicken to make it a full meal too.
Looks really good ! I’m thinking of adding a bag of shredded chicken in there so that I could make a full dish, what do you think ?
Yes, that would be delicious!
That looks fantastic! Can’t wait to make it!
This looks nice – what would you suggest if I wanted to add some more veggies to this dish? I was thinking maybe zucchini…
Maybe peas? Or if you can get asparagus for a good price, those would be awesome. You could dice up an onion and sauté that with the garlic in the beginning. A little spinach stirred in at the end would be good, too.