- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Add the oil and butter to a large saucepan or deep sauté pan; melt the butter and warm the mixture over medium heat.
When the mixture is both melted and blended, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often to toast the orzo and infuse it with flavor.
Add the chicken or vegetable broth and cream. Once it starts to simmer, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring often. You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit. You want it to gently simmer instead of furiously boil, and you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has a chance to cook fully.
Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pot from the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and spinach, and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened to your liking. The orzo will absorb the liquid quickly, so if it still seems like there's too much liquid, just wait a little bit longer. Season the dish with salt & pepper as needed and serve.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 25 minutes