Mushroom Orzo

Oh wow, will THIS ever be a repeat in my house! For extra flavor I used dried porcini mushrooms which I soaked in hot water for about 25 minutes. I then used the soaking liquid for the water called for. What a boost of flavor! Pearl onions not a staple in my house, I simply substituted chopped, sweet onion, though shallots would me nice too, and added fresh garlic instead of the garlic powder. My only criticism is that half the amount of butter called for would have been adequate, and I am a fan of butter! I served this with Pesto Cheesy Chicken Rolls, also from this site. Update to original 4/4/08 review: For those like my husband who (go figure!)dislike it, you might want to go a little easier on the Parmesan.

This is the third time I made this recipe. This time I changed it up a bit. I added grilled chicken, shrimp and extra mushrooms. I doubled the liquid ( chicken broth, water and wine). It was really good. We had it as a main dish. January 18, 2010- Writing again just to say that I still use this recipe regularly. I even use it with a good short grain rice and it's delicious.

I loved this side dish. I didn't have pearl onions so I used half a regular onion chopped up and I added minced garlic and extra mushrooms. You can never have too many mushrooms. The wine gave it such a great flavor. Oh, and I used chicken broth instead of water. This really was great. I will definately be making it again and again! Thanks BABARCLAY.

I used chopped onion, and per the other reviews, substituted chicken broth for the water. This is a flavorful side dish that's quick and easy! Will add more mushrooms next time.

I previously rated this after making it once. Since then, I have made it more and played with the recipe just a tad, and now I LOVE it!! Have made it several times and I crave it. For the mushrooms, I just used button mushrooms, and 1/2C as the recipe called for turned out to be 3 mushrooms...not enough, at all. I now make it with like 10 button mushrooms, I'd even add more. I use chopped white or yellow onions instead of the pearl, and I use one minced garlic clove instead of garlic powder. I also increased the wine to 2/3C, I really like that wine flavor. So, with those changes I now love this recipe and plan to make it a lot!

Excellent recipe. I used canned mushrooms and it tasted just great. Jusst cook it for alittle less time.

I had to use 2X the amount of water listed and cooked it for about 3X as long as it recommended. Good side dish, easy to make. I also used most of a smaller yellow onion and a portabello cap instead of pearl onions white mushrooms.

This was an easy and quick side dish. I didn't have pearl onion, so I used a chopped medium onion instead. At the advice of another reviewer, I used chicken broth for more flavor (and left out the salt).

I didn't follow the directions very well, but we loved this idea. I sauteed the mushrooms and onion in 1 tbsp oil, added garlic and then deglazed with about 1/4 cup white wine. I used 14 oz chicken stock and 1 cup orzo, covered and simmered for 7 minutes and then added the parsley, cheese and a splash of fat free cream. This is my husbands new favorite side, big compliment coming from him. I've made this 3 times already. Thanks for the recipe!

Not bad...the only thing I would change is using chicken broth for more flavor.

Really good, would be better if I would have had fresh Parmesan on hand instead of the powdered :(

Excellent!! I substituted red wine for the white, and everobody loved it!

Everyone loved this! I did use shallots because I don't care for pearl onions and added 2 gloves minced garlic. I used half butter and half evoo and chicken stock instead of water. This definitely has the "Wow" factor going on. Will make again many times.

So I overcooked the cod, undercooked the brussels sprouts, but this dish came out perfectly! I was so pleased with the results. Instead of the water and wine I used 1.5 cups of chicken broth. I was nervous when I dumped it in because it looked like a lot of liquid, but the orzo absorbed it all. I would double the mushrooms, though. Instead of the pearl onions I used a small sliced yellow onion. And about half the butter. I will be making this over and over again! Thanks so much for the recipe!

Seriously, I could have eaten this whole thing by myself! I loved it! First of all, if you are lucky enough to be able to afford pearl onions (!), you need to drop them in boiling water for a minute or so. Then cut the top off and squeeze the inside out of the wrapping. I sauteed them in two tablespoons of butter in a a 10" skillet until they were lightly browned. I used crimini mushrooms--most of a little 8-oz container--and maybe three tablespoons of butter more (so not the whole 1/2 cup called for). Instead of water, I used some broth I made from a home-baked chicken. I used some chardonnay for the wine. I did use the seasoning to taste as suggested. This cooked down perfectly so that when I added shaved parmesan to the end product, it was just perfectly done. So good! I can't wait for the leftovers!

I too used broth instead of the water and needed to add more liquid to accommodate the orzo. Delicious side Babarclay and thanks!

great side dish!!! I added more pearl onions cause I love onions. I took the advice of the "most helpful" review and soaked the mushrooms in hot water. I thought that would overcook the shrooms but surprisingly it didn't. Man, this tasted excellent!!! I ate this with Hudson's Baked Tilapia with Dill Sauce on this site. Off da chain combination!!! STRAIGHT UP!!!

This is fantastic. I used chicken broth and about 3/4 cup of coarsely chopped onion. ( I didn't have pearl onions in the house) I used Sauvignon Blanc wine. I served it with Chicken Asparagus Roll Ups from this site. Just a little mixed greens with strawberries and sugared pecans, and Hazelnut raspberry dressing on the plate also.. It looked beautiful and tasted great. You can make the roll ups ahead of time. A wonderful company dinner. I think this was my DH favorite dinner ever.

I liked this recipe a lot. Added some prawns for additional protein, broccoli for color and nutrients, garlic...just because. I hadn't used pearl onions before...but cooking them for 3 minutes and squeezing the pulp out of them worked well, and kinda fun. I didn't use as much butter as listed to cut down on fat. 5/21/2018 used a suggestion from the reviews and added some rehydrated Porcini's to the cremini's...using the mushroom water and broth/wine to cook the Orzo. Zehr Gut.

I loved this recipe!! I sauteed a little bit of garlic (about 1 clove) in the beginning rather than using garlic powder later in the recipe. You don't need to use as much butter as is called for. You can substitute EVOO for a portion of the butter. Fresh parsley is nice to have, but dried worked great too! This is great even if you don't use a ton of parm!... would definitely make this again! One criticism, you should COVER YOUR SKILLET at the end while simmering in order to keep the moisture from escaping so the orzo doesnt become dry.

This is so easy and very tasty. I used a regular onion instead of the pearl onions and chicken stock. Next time I make it I will use different varieties of mushrooms. Thanks for the recipe!

Made this last night for supper,turned out great. decreased the butter by 2 tbsp and was still delicious

I love this recipe! I use green onions, fresh garlic, and chicken broth instead of water. I also prefer grated Parmesan cheese.

I checked my box of orzo for the ratio of liquid and increased the amount to a total of 2 1/3 c. I also used some granulated chicken bouillon. This was a delicious recipe! My family loved it.

I made this last night and it was good. My only complaint was it was a little oily from all the butter. I think next time I would maybe cut the second divided part of the butter in half. I would also up the last part to 10 minutes instead of 7. My orzo was a little crunchy, but that was my fault for not testing not the recipes.

I wasn't expecting much, but I thought this was pretty good. I was looking for a recipe to use up some pearl onions. Like many folks, I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I used 6 T. of butter, instead of 8--just put all the butter in the pan, melted it and added frozen pearl onions (about 1 1/2 c.) and 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms. I let them cook for a pretty long time--I find that mushrooms taste better the longer you cook them. I then added some fresh garlic and the orzo and about 5 minutes after that, added 1 T. vinegar and 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, since I wasn't using wine. (The vinegar was a little strong, would cut back next time.) I had to cook the orzo longer and added more water. In addition to salt and pepper, I seasoned with some Worcestershire sauce. Threw in some fresh thyme with the parsley, just 'cause I had it on hand. After using up this bag of frozen pearl onions, I decided I'm not a fan of pearl onions, except for creamed pearl onions at Thanksgiving. So if I made this again, I would probably use regular onions.

Very quick and easy. I used 1.5 cups of chicken broth instead of water and wine. I also used about 1/4 onion, chopped instead of the pearl onions. I used baby bellas and less butter than called for (2TBS for onions, then added 4 more, 2 at a time while I sauteed the mushrooms and orzo). Everyone ate it (i'm lucky, my kids love mushrooms). I served it as a main dish with french green beans on the side.

Everyone in my entire family, including my picky nephews, loved this. I followed the suggestions and substituted chicken broth for most of the water, although I did need more liquid in total, like others said. Great side dish.

EXCELLENT. Wow. If you prefer a carmelized onion flavor, over traditional onion flavor, try this: Add a small vidalia onion and 2 gloves of garlic into your food processor. (Omit the garlic powder called for. Add the entire stick of butter in the beginning and get the onions slightly tender. Add the orzo and one-half of the wine. Use a sweeter wine, like a Riesling, to give some good sugar quality. I used Piesporter White Wine but any sweet grape variety would do. Stay on top of it during this stage of cooking as the carmelization will start to happen and could burn quickly. Lastly, use fresh sliced baby bella mushrooms, and omit the parsley. The outcome had a savory blend with just a hint of natural sweetness that was delicious. If you like the taste of carmelized onion, savory with just a hint of sweet, this modification is for you.

FABULOUS! Tasted almost like risotto to me... but so much easier to make. Used vidallia onion instead of pearl, and used the chicken stock instead of the water. I think I could go with a lot less butter next time though to make it not so fattening... since my husband and I ate the whole 6 servings easily by ourselves in one sitting with grilled pork chop.

I wish that I could give this recipe more stars! I didn't have any pearl onions so I chopped up a Spanish onion. I replaced the water with a can of chicken broth. This recipe is a delicious and easy side dish.

Really good and really easy to make. I like this recipe because you can alter it to your taste. I made it as is and everyone in my family enjoyed it. I may try it next time with spinach.

This is really, really good. I had to add more liquid to the skillet, but I think it may have been because I used a very large skillet and it cooked down too fast. I wish I had made more - my 2 guys knocked out 6 servings in one shot. Thanks for the recipe!

We loved it. I made it twice this week since it only uses a half box orzo and I had left over mushrooms. Next time I will probably just double the recipe. I followed the suggestion of using chicken broth. The second time I didn't have onions so I used a green bell pepper. It was delicious both ways.

I've made this twice and it is very good! First time I made it as presented, and it was a little too buttery and Parmesan-overpowering for us. I cut the butter by almost half, and only put in a sprinkle of Parmesan the second time, but put grated Parm on the table for guests to add as desired. Some added none, others a ton, so it seems that's one way to allow people to adapt to their own tastes with this dish. I would readily make again!

This was a very good recipe. I used diced onions in place of the pearl onions and beef broth for the wine and water. Will make again.

I prepared this recipe for the first time tonight and it was delicious. It had such a wonderful, rich, tasty flavor. I modified the recipe and added more more mushrooms, canola oil and margarine instead of butter. I also replaced the garlic powder with fresh garlic and the pearl onions with yellow onions. The next time I prepare this recipe, I plan to either eliminate the orzo and incorporate it into a veggie or all mushroom lasagne and/or prepare it as a pasta sauce.

This was good, at lot easier to make than risotto with a similar taste. I used portabella mushrooms as they tend to have more flavor. I also used fresh garlic and shallots in place of the pearl onions. Will make again.

This is the best pasta dish I've ever made! It was quick, easy and wonderfully flavorful. Following other reviewers' suggestions, I reduced the butter to 2 T. I used reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms, and used their broth for all of the liquid. I probably used about 2 c. liquid total. This was great with grilled chicken.

Definitely one of the best side dishes I have ever made. I made it for my in-laws on Christmas and everyone was VERY impressed. I did need quite a bit more liquid than the recipe called for, but it turned out great. Thanks!

Wow was this fabulous!!! I used chopped sweet onion instead of the pearl onions. Definitely something I will make on a rare occassion to spoil our dinner guests. Great creamy consistency. Thanks for sharing.

Used all chicken stock instead of water/wine and chopped onions instead of pearl. Very good!! Will be making it again!!

I love this recipe. It is versatile and easy to prepare. I used red wine instead of white wine and I added mixed vegetables to the dish: it was delicious. Please note that extra liquid should be added to cook the Orzo.

This is one of my favourite orzo recipes. I didn't have pearl onions, so substituted diced sweet white onions. Also, I used freshly grated parm. This recipe is easy, simple, and quick. If I didn't have the wine on hand, I would probably use vegetable broth in place of the water and wine. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

Um....could we say super yum! I used chicken stock in lieu of water....dried parsley instead of fresh (didn't have any)...and 1/2 chopped onion replaced pearl onions (again, didn't have any)...Very pleasantly pleased....Wish there was a way to cut down on the butter...Any recommendations welcome...

This is a delicious dish! The flavors meld together so well. Will definitely make again.

This is a very tasty recipe! A little on the greasy side, though. I substituted half the butter with olive oil. The next time I make this, I will start out with half as much of each and add more as needed. I also used chicken broth instead of water like some other folks.

This was so good! I will be making this all the time. I was a perfect sidedish for the fish I made. This would go good with steak, or anything. Excellent.

I just recently discovered that I really like Orzo, so I was really extited to find this recipe. It turned out very nice. Good and flavourful, a very tasty side dish :)

very good, a bit too much cheese for me.

Really good, except it needed WAY more liquid than called for. It could be because I used whole wheat orzo...which has a really nice bite. I would do this again...but watch the salt content. When using beef broth, it can get a little salty!

I made this tonight, and my husband and I loved it. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because as written, there is a definite wine taste which my kids weren't crazy about. But we loved it! Other than subsituting chopped onions for pearl (I was out) and fresh garlic for powder (personal preference), I followed it exactly. Next time to make it more kid friendly, I might substitute broth for the wine--but then again the adults were happy with the wine taste! Will definitely make again.

This was really tasty! But I felt it had way too much butter in it. I even used a tiny bit less than 1/2 cup and it was really greasy. But I will definately make this again but try it with 1/4 cup of butter instead. I also added 1/2 tsp chicken granulated bouillon.

OMG!! Wow..wow! I was so surprised and proud of myself! This mushroom orzo is definitely a 5 stars +++...so delicious and pleasantly satisfying. I used crimini and button mushrooms, chopped up along with chicken stock for the water called for in this recipe to give it more flavor. I also used 1 garlic clove, chopped up with the fresh shallots I used in place of pearl onions. I used the butter amount called for in this recipe however I think next time I will cut it back some. The wine, mushrooms, stock all enhanced this pasta wonderfully! Even my honey was complimenting over how wonderful and tasty this was. A keeper in my recipe box to be used time and again! Served with, "Pesto Cheesy Chicken Rolls,"also from this website.

Wow, I was impressed. One of my favorite now!

I used 1/4 cup of butter total, 1/4 of a medium onion (diced), 1 cup of orzo, about 1½ cups of fresh sliced mushrooms, 2 cups of chicken broth, no water, no wine, a few shakes of garlic powder, a few shakes each of pepper and salt, and 1/4 cup parmesan. It took a very long time to cook, more like 25 minutes. I also ended up having to add another 1/3 cup of water as it was getting dry. It WAS really tasty, though, and I will make it again... Hopefully I'll remember that it needs to cook longer! Thanks for sharing, BabarClay!

This was sooooo good. I didn't have any pearl onions so I used a regular one. I followed the recipe exactly as written but next time I think I will substitute chicken broth for the water. I used fresh mushrooms and I added just a tiny bit more than it called for because I had them and I didn't want to waste them. I might try this with canned mushrooms next time and see if it tastes just as good. I always have canned mushrooms on hand and this is a fast and delicious side dish. My kids thought it was risotto ~ even after I told them it was pasta they kept calling it mushroom rice. :) Even my 12 year old who hates mushrooms loved this !

great dish when using other's suggestions! I used 1 1/4 cup chicken stock and a little less than 1/2 cup white wine. I also cut down on the butter by about a tablespoon. then I added some chicken to make it a main dish. Even my 3 year old asked for seconds!

Made this a few times now always delish. I have used both fresh and canned mushrooms. fresh is better but can works in a pinch. must try it . great as a side or a filling main dish! my whole family loves it!

This was absolutely delicious! The wine really adds great flavor. I made it once following the recipe exactly. The second time I realized I ran out of mushrooms so I made it with a bit of cream of mushroom soup and I also cut the butter to 1/4 cup and it was still fantastic.

Served this for dinner for 8 guests and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Because I doubled the number of servings I cut back by 1/4 on the butter, doubled the amount of onions and mushrooms and used chicken broth instead of water. I'll definitely make this often.

This is the first time I've rated a recipe. It is SO delicious I just had to share my opinion. It "melts in your mouth", probably because of all the butter. ;) I doubled the recipe and it required a lot of butter. The only thing I would change is not adding so much butter (for a healthier version) and maybe adding a bit more wine or water as a substitution liquid. But OH...SO...YUMMY. Thanks for the recipe!

I served this one night with Chicken Marsala. Straight up 5 stars. This was DELICIOUS!!! I couldn't believe how good it was. Thanks for the recipe, it's going in my rotation of meals.

This is a great recipe for orzo. I used half the butter and that was plenty

Absolutely delicious! Made this last night....just wonderful!

I had to use twice the amount of water and cook it for a few minutes longer than listed, but it came out very tasty. Will be having this one again.

This was good. Like others I subbed chicken broth for the water. It dried out pretty fast so I ended up having to add a bit more right before serving.

One of the most delicious Mushroom Orzo recipes I've ever tried or eaten! And easy!

I love this recipe, made as a main dish with Chicken Kebab's for the valentine dinner last night. I did add a dash of chilli flakes and Asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces to finish.

I made this last might for dinner with chicken - it was fantastic. I used sliced baby portobello caps, diced yellow onion, and a can of low sodium chicken broth instead of water and white wine. I also just sprinked the top with fresh parmesean - it turned out perfect. I plan to make this a lot!

good

This was my first time cooking orzo and I enjoyed it BUT I think that there was waaaay too much butter for my liking. It made it very slimy. I could have easily halved the amount of butter. I doubled the mushrooms as well and used diced onion b/c I didn't have pearl onions on hand. It was a pretty standard recipe hence the "3 stars" but my BF seemed to enjoy it.

Great recipe! I loved the earthy, rich flavor. And it was a one dish recipe! I halved the butter. It stuck a tiny little bit at the end, but the flavor and texture was there. Also, I didn't have pearl onions, so I thinly sliced a white onion and it was fine.

Went back for thirds! Wow. Made this just like the recipe except used a whole small container of baby Bella's. Even though I undercooked the orzo, my boyfriend went back for thirds. Amazingly tasty for such few ingredients. Next time will try chk broth instead of water, but it was delicious with water and plain ol' white cooking wine. I think the mushrooms add the flavor. A new staple int the recipe reptoire.

This was really good. I didn't have pearl onions, so I used a medium onion, roughly chopped. I also didn't have any wine, I replaced the wine and the water with chicken stock. I used 2 portobella mushrooms,roughly chopped (it was way over a 1/2 cup, but they cook down a lot). This is a very rich recipe, so I would suggest cutting the butter to about half. If it is still too rich, I would suggest cutting the cheese at the end to about a 1/4 cup.

I thought this recipe was awesome. I followed some reviewers suggestions and substituted beef broth for the water, which added alot of flavor. I also reduced the butter, per some reviewers suggestions (I used approximately 3/4 of what the recipe called for). I also used a few cloves of diced up fresh garlic instead of powder. What I added to the recipe was a can of diced tomatoes. This turned out to be DELICIOUS! I suggest anyone who likes tomatoes, try this. I added them towards the end, when the orzo had absorbed most of the broth. It added color and alot of flavor. I made the recipe without tomatoes at a later time, and didn't think it was nearly as good (still good, though ;). Overall, I love this recipe, and pretty much everyone who's tried it loves it as well!

My hubby LOVED this. I liked it too. But found it very rich. I think next time I will use less butter and cheese. It had very strong flavors. I think you could add cooked shrimp or chicken and had a complete meal.

Fantastic - Thanks Babaerclay. I am always asked to bring this to dinner, pot luck. Even my husband who is a potatoes guy asks for this! The changes I have made is to add a can of mushroom soup for a creamier version. Fresh garlic and chicken broth as others have suggested as well. Love it , love it!

I made this to be a stuffing for bell peppers. Like other reviewers, I cut the butter down (to 2 Tbsp), added a teaspoon of evoo and a splash of fresh lemon juice. When it was ready, I stuffed four huge peppers and crocked them on low for 6 hours. Delicious!

Use less butter.

This was pretty good. I used a whole 8 oz. package of mushrooms, as I agree with most other reviewers that it needs more! The parsley adds a really nice fresh flavor so try not to leave it out. It is ridiculously easy to grow, so if you don't have some, plant it now!! To answer another reviewer's question, no, you do not need all the butter...I used half as much as it called for and it turned out nicely.

This recipe was amazing. I used less than half the butter called for and it was still very creamy. I also quadrupled the mushrooms and parsley, and I used fresh garlic.

Excellent recipe- I've never really known what to do with orzo. Even my daughter who normally won't eat mushrooms or onions thought this was great. Followed the recipe exactly the first time, second time I used chicken broth for the water for a little extra flavor. Quick and easy and a definite keeper.

Easy recipe to follow. Taste great. Few things to mention regarding this recipe and my next attempt: 1) No need to use so much better, about half of the amount will do. 2) I will use water, (add) chicken broth, and (use less) white wine. The white wine taste was too strong IMHO. 3) I think added a few different mushroom varieties will really kick this up a notch. Great recipe!!!!! Too easy!!!

Great recipe. I didn't have the pearl onions, so I chopped an onion. I also didn't have the white wine, so I used just a touch of extra broth. Delicious!

This was fabulous!! Didn't have Parmesan used fresh grated Asiago instead and whole wheat orzo. Taste was amazing! Will definitely make again.

Very good! The fresh parsley really adds a vital element to this dish, so don't skip it. Thanks! :)

pleasantly surprise how yummy. even my hubby liked it, and he is if-fy about orzo's haha. oh I didnt have fresh parmasean cheese, and just used the grated stuff in the green cannister:-) still turned out yum! will make it again. i just made it again tonight. we didn't have any mushrooms on hand, but we used chopped asparagus and sliced red peppers. So good! Oh, I only used 1/4 c butter. 1/2 cup of butter seemed so much. using less butter was still delish!

I thought this was very tasty. I didn't have pearl onions, so I used scallions, and it was still good.

Sooo Good! I love orzo and I love the combo of mushrooms with finely chopped fresh rosemary (3/4 tsp) and I love the combo of rosemary with cream so I finished it with 1/3 cup of whipping cream as well as the parmesan. I subbed Vegetable Broth and 1/2 cup of chopped white onions and closer to 1 cup of chopped mushrooms. Served Hubby and I as a side dish with grilled herb chicken with barely no leftovers.

So I thought this was a great way to start out! I too used Chicken broth instead of water but added 1/2 c due to other reviews. 2nd try I will omit the extra liquid and see how it cooks up. (resembled sloppy risotto) but my 4 stars is due to the strong wine taste. Nxt time I will halve the wine. (I onlycook with good quality wine I would drink!) Topped w fine parm chz and green onions only cause i did not have parsley.

Love this recipe! This has become one of my go-to sides for dinner. I used chicken broth instead of water as recommended by another reviewer. I've also added spinach to this recipe to add more veggies and give it some color. Yum!

I think this was good. The butter was overwhelming so next time I think I will reduce it. I added minimal salt/pepper and I will increase it to 1/2 tsp or a pinch more. Otherwise, a nice side dish.

My grocery store doesn't carry pearl onions so I substituted Cipolline onions and they were great. Also, I followed other reviewers' advice and cut way back on the butter. I only used 2 T. I substituted chicken broth for the water and found that I had to add more during the cooking process because it got too thick and the orzo wasn't cooked yet. I think I ended up doubling the liquid. I also skipped the parsley as I just didn't have any. This was very good.

very good followed recipe exactly

I bulked this up with other vegetables - one zucchini, two carrots, and 10oz white mushrooms plus one portabello. Also used vegetable broth instead of water. My husband and I are trying to eat more veggies and less carbs - I stuck with the amount of orzo called for, but probably ended up using 4x the veggies chopped in my food processor. We both loved it. Definately do this again.

Very good

Pretty tasty beginning for pasta. I used chopped Vidalia onion and sauteed with the mushrooms. I cut back the oil by about 1/3 and it still was good. Only addition was fresh basil at the very end. Delicious!

Less butter and more liquid and mushrooms, and minced garlic but absolutely delicious! Will make again.