Marsala Orzo

This makes two weeks IN A ROW that I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner for her fab Show Us Your Life series... Sadly, there were no blogs in between the two, but let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?

This is absolutely one of my favorite side dishes ev-er. Brian constantly requests it, and family and friends have called me numerous times for the recipe. The best part? It calls for ingredients that I almost always have on hand AND it takes hardly any time at all. A blogger that I read, Stephanie Cooks, originally posted the recipe, and I've kind of adapted it over time to my own liking. The recipe below has been modified here and there by me :)

Marsala Orzo

photo courtesy of Stephanie Cooks

1 cup mushrooms, chopped (I like portobello because of the darker color)
1 cup baby spinach, sliced into ribbons (honestly, I sometimes leave this out. It's amaze-balls just with the mushrooms and flavors)
1/2 cup orzo (after searching for-ev-er amongst the rice, I found it with the pasta. Who knew?) 1/4 cup marsala wine (will completely cook out but gives SO much flavor)
1 1/4 cup chicken broth, more depending on consistency
1 Tbsp light cream
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper
cooking spray

1. Spray a small skillet with cooking spray. Add the mushrooms, cook 3-4 minutes or until almost done. Add the spinach, stirring constantly until spinach wilts down. Remove the veggies to a small dish; set aside.

***If there's any juice leftover from the mushrooms, don't wipe down the pan but pour the juice out***

2. Spray the same skillet with cooking spray. Add the orzo and stir frequently until some of the pasta starts to turn golden.

3. Add the marsala wine, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth. It will get steamy and give off a big ole *WHOOOSH* sound as the liquids hit the pan... it's fabtastic.

4. Stir in your seasonings- garlic powder, onion powder, s&p

5. Lower the heat and allow the pasta to cook until most of the chicken broth is absorbed
(I let mine cook for a while on a really low temp-- it makes the pasta super plump. The worst thing you can do is cook it on high and let all of the liquid cook out before the pasta is cooked. Patience is key here. If the chicken broth cooks down but the orzo is still too firm to your taste, add a bit more and keep on cooking. You really cannot mess this up... unless, like I said, you scorch it.)
6. Add the light cream, and stir to taste.
7. Stir the veggies back in and allow to heat together for about 2-3 minutes.

Y'all, I promise you. This is amazing. I've played around and made other variations of the recipe. I leave out the mushrooms and spinach and add thinly shredded mozzarella and sliced basil. It is divine.


2 comments:

  1. Sounds delicious!! I might make some chicken marsala and make this as a side!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am impressed! You're braver than me. I stick to mac & cheese ;)

    ReplyDelete