Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers
Yield: 6servings
Prep Time: 15 minutesmins
Cook Time: 12 minutesmins
Total Time: 27 minutesmins
Ingredients
1tablespoonolive oil
2boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 to 1 ½ pounds, cut into chunks
1-2red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
8ounceswhite button mushrooms, quartered
1teaspoondried thyme
3clovesgarlic, finely minced
1poundorzo pasta
8ouncescream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1cupreserved pasta water
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonpepper
½cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
3tablespoonschopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.
While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.
Notes
Serve Immediately: this pasta is best served immediately as it tends to get less creamy as it sits at room temperature – so serve warm right as it finishes cooking! (Incidentally, it heated up just fine the next day in the microwave on low power.)