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This mushroom orzo pilaf is a creamy, delicious spin on classic rice pilaf with orzo pasta instead! It’s an easy light meal or side dish packed with earthy mushrooms, tender veggies, and fresh herbs.
If you’re a fan of recipes like mushroom rice, you’ll love this one-pot pasta recipe loaded with similar ingredients and flavors! Try my creamy chicken orzo for another easy dinner idea.
My mom is the longstanding queen 👑 of rice pilaf (a.k.a. pilav or pilau). It’s a dish that involves simmering rice in broth with veggies and spices until it’s tender, fluffy, and choc full of flavor. This version packs all that deliciousness into a warm, creamy, savory pilaf with orzo pasta instead! I used whole wheat orzo and mushrooms and channeled all the richness and creaminess of my mom’s pilaf recipes into a tasty, one-pot meal. I could LIVE off this stuff.
Why I Love This Mushroom Orzo Pilaf
- Packed with flavor. I LOVE mushrooms, so naturally, I love this mushroom orzo. It’s rich, flavorful, and loaded with vegetables and herbs, cooked in a savory broth. The earthy mushrooms round out the flavors perfectly.
- Very little hands-on time. This “rice” pilaf with orzo falls between a creamy one-pot pasta and mushroom risotto. The difference here is that there’s no hovering over a pot on the stove, gradually stirring in stock as typical risotto recipes call for.
- One pot. Because I’m all about practical shortcuts, all you need to make this recipe is one pan and less than 30 minutes. It’s the weeknight dinner you need in your life!
Is Orzo a Pasta or Rice?
Orzo, also called risoni, is actually a short-cut pasta that’s shaped like rice. This is why it makes such a perfect stand-in for rice in recipes for pilaf and casseroles! You’ll find semolina, whole wheat, and even gluten-free orzo in grocery stores, and they’re all members of the pasta family. Any kind will work in this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Similar to cooking rice for risotto, the starches in the orzo pasta give this mushroom orzo pilaf a rich, silky texture. I’ve included notes on the ingredients you’ll need here. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable list with the full recipe details.
- Olive Oil – Or another cooking oil, like avocado oil.
- Yellow Onion – Diced. You can use any white or yellow, mild onion you’d like.
- Mushrooms – These can be cremini, Baby Bella, portobello mushrooms, or any mix of white and brown mushrooms you prefer. You can even make this recipe with exotic mushrooms, like shiitake or oyster mushrooms.
- Carrot – Chopped up into thin rounds, or you can buy a bag of frozen diced carrots and thaw them out beforehand.
- Herbs – I use a combination of freshly minced garlic, chopped rosemary leaves, and parsley. Thyme is another herb that works well with mushrooms. You’ll also need salt and pepper for seasoning.
- Orzo – You’ll find orzo in the pasta aisle. I use whole wheat orzo, but any kind works. If you can’t find orzo, you can also make this pilaf with another small pasta shape, like ditalini or pearl couscous.
- Vegetable Broth – Or chicken stock. I recommend low-sodium broth or stock as it’s easier to control the overall saltiness of the pilaf this way.
- Parmesan Cheese – Optional, to sprinkle over the finished pilaf when serving. Freshly grated parmesan is best!
How to Make Orzo Pilaf With Mushrooms
Once you’ve gathered your pilaf ingredients, it’s time to get started. Here’s how to put together this easy mushroom rice pilaf with orzo:
- Sauté the veggies. Start by sautéeing the onion, mushrooms, and carrots in a preheated skillet with oil. Season with a bit of salt, and let that cook for a few minutes until the veggies soften. Then, stir in the garlic.
- Add the orzo and cook. Add the orzo pasta and rosemary, then pour in the veggie stock and bring the pot to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and leave the orzo to cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Afterward, let the pot stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Lastly, stir in fresh parsley and season the pilaf to taste. Garnish with parmesan, and dig in!
Tips and Variations
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Just like overcooked rice, overcooked orzo will be mushy. Different brands may have different cooking times, so test the orzo while it cooks to make sure it doesn’t go beyond al dente. You can always drain some of the extra broth if there’s too much liquid left over.
- Add protein. Bulk up your mushroom orzo pilaf with cooked shredded or cubed chicken breast or shrimp. Stir it in after the orzo is cooked and let it heat through.
- More veggies. If mushrooms aren’t your thing, you can sauté just about any vegetable you’d like. Good options are asparagus, broccoli, diced sweet potato, frozen peas, and greens like kale or baby spinach.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy mushroom orzo makes an easy, excellent side to tomahawk pork chops or a big, juicy ribeye steak. I also love serving it as a bed for spicy mojo chicken, Moroccan harissa chicken, or sticky broiled chicken thighs, similar to a rice bowl! Round out the meal with a green bean salad or shaved Brussels sprouts salad, or a vegetable side like steamed broccoli. And don’t miss a scoop of tiramisu ice cream for dessert.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Transfer the cooled orzo pilaf to an airtight container and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm the pilaf in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave until it’s hot throughout.
- Freeze. You can freeze leftover mushroom orzo for up to 2 months. Make sure it’s cooled completely and keep it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw the orzo in the fridge before reheating. You may notice that the texture of the pasta changes a little after it’s thawed, but the flavors will still be delicious.
More Orzo Recipes
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Mushroom Orzo Pilaf
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 large carrot, sliced into thin rounds
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ⅔ cup whole wheat orzo
- 14 ounces can low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- grated parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add diced onion, mushrooms, and carrots, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in minced garlic and continue to cook for an additional 20 seconds.
- Add the orzo and cook. Add orzo, rosemary, and vegetable stock. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Stir in parsley, then taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Garnish the mushroom orzo pilaf with grated parmesan cheese and serve.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
OOoooh! This looks super yummy!
Oh this looks totally amazing! And your artificial lights are officially the bomb! I’ve been wanting to invest in some for a long time.
Mushrooms NEED to be in a vegetarian dish to make me not miss the meat. Gah, that makes me sound terrible but. yeah. Love orzo and this sounds like something worth burning my tongue for!
Booo on the rain but your artificial light is looking great! I would have never guessed! And of course this mushroom orzo pilaf looks amazingggggg!
Oh wow I just love all things mushroom – this would be a fantastic dinner!!
Girl, this is totally my kinda dish! I big puffy heart mushrooms! Can’t wait to make this! Pinned for sure!
I love mushrooms and this looks super tasty!
your pictures are gorgeous, SO bright, I never would have thought you used artificial light – and orzo YUM, we love it
Thanks SO MUCH, Heather!! xo I didn’t know if the photos would turn out okay, but I had to do something. We’ve had rain every day for the past 3 weeks or so and it’s killin’ my blog game! hahaha 😀
Katerina … this is the perfect side dish any time of the year. I love mushrooms in pasta and the addition of sweet carrots must great great flavor. Pinning this one for sure.
I have some orzo sitting in my pantry right now that I was debating how to use it. I think this recipe is the winner! Thanks for sharing!