Orzo with Mushrooms, Peas and Parmesan

Whenever it's cold outside, I start craving comfort food. I roasted a lemon and basil chicken for dinner. I decided to serve it with orzo, mushrooms and peas. This was a simple yet comforting side dish. The mushrooms, shallots and peas gave a wonderful flavor and texture to the pasta while the Parmesan made it creamy and salty. My kids loved this pasta dish and so did my husband and I. It paired very nicely with the roast chicken and some crusty bread.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small shallot, chopped finely
• 7-8 white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (not pictured)
• 1 cup of orzo

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the shallot and mushrooms. Sauté until golden brown; add the garlic and stir frequently for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, season with sea salt to taste then set aside.

Cook pasta per instructions then drain and place back in the pot. Add the peas, mushroom mixture, Parmesan, parsley, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste; mix thoroughly. Enjoy.

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