Mushroom Orzo with Thyme & Chickpeas

episode #87 of 30-minute budget meals

I had the realization this week that I haven’t been cooking with mushrooms enough, lately. I asked Grant what he was craving this week and he said orzo, and I thought, perfect — mushrooms pair perfectly with pasta. I love a one-pot orzo because it gives off risotto energy.

As much as I could live off pasta alone, I like to try to include proteins in these recipes so that can operate as a well-rounded meal. I was torn between adding chickpeas and white beans here, but to break up the creamy texture, I opted for chickpeas for some textural contrast.

I used white button mushrooms because they tend to be affordable, but this dish would tasted amazing with a blend of mushrooms or some maitake mushrooms, which are some of my favorite. In this dish, some of the mushrooms get finely chopped and the others sliced, so you don’t feel like you’re always getting big bites of mushrooms with each spoonful but you still get maximum mushroom flavor.

As far as herbs go, I used thyme and parsley, but if you’re reading this in the future and want a more summery vibe, basil would work too! You can also use butter in place of olive oil for a richer flavor. I added a splash of balsamic vinegar for a deeper flavor, and the creaminess here actually comes from Parmesan, not heavy cream!

RECIPE!

Mushroom Orzo with Thyme & Chickpeas

Ingredients (serves 2-3)