Variations, substitutions, and add-ins
Veggies. Add your favorite veggies. My favorites are arugula, kale, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers (in addition to spinach and mushrooms).
Heavy cream or half-and-half – either works fine.
Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese: Parmesan, Asiago, Gruyere, or Pecorino Romano.
Add other toppings, such as fresh herbs (basil, thyme, or oregano), chopped green onions, or chopped chives.
Make it spicy. Red pepper flakes will add heat and flavor! Use these sparingly to taste so that they don’t overwhelm the dish.
Add protein
While creamy spinach and mushroom orzo is perfectly delicious as is, you can elevate it and turn it into a complete meal by adding your favorite protein. My recommendations are below. Please share your favorite protein recommendations with me in the comments!
Cooked meats include seared chicken, cooked rotisserie chicken, grilled steak, or pan-seared steak strips.
Seafood, such as shrimp, scallops, lobster meat, crab meat, or salmon.
My favorite ways to cook protein
Below are simple yet flavorful recipes to quickly turn any chicken, shrimp, salmon, trout, or steak into something tasty in 30 minutes or less, using only one pan. All of these will make a great addition to creamy orzo:
Cajun Chicken with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
Shrimp Scampi
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Garlic Butter Steak with Roasted Veggies
Garlic Parmesan Crusted Baked Salmon and Asparagus
Pan-Seared Trout (or Salmon) with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce
Seared Scallops with Creamy Lemon-Caper Sauce
Simple-cooked Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
Other orzo recipes you might like
Creamy Shrimp Orzo with Spinach, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Chicken Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach, and Basil Pesto
Greek Shrimp Orzo with Tomatoes and Feta
Lemon Shrimp Orzo with Asparagus
Creamy Chicken Orzo with Butternut Squash and Spinach
Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms
Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage.
