Monday, November 9, 2009

Orzo with Bacon, Spinach, and Mushrooms


The other day I went in search of a new idea for orzo on a cooking board I frequent. Elly recommended this recipe from her blog. As soon as I saw pancetta, I was sold. Any form of bacon makes everything better!

I used her recipe as inspiration, but instead of pancetta, roasted artichokes, and Swiss chard, I used what I had on hand - bacon, mushrooms, and spinach. My adaptation of her recipe is below.
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 slices raw bacon, chopped
  • 1 sm onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/4 c white wine
  • 2 c chicken broth
  • 1 c orzo
  • 1/2 bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat
  • Add bacon and saute until brown. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.
  • Remove half of the bacon grease from the pan.
  • Add onions and garlic; saute 3 minutes
  • Add mushrooms, saute 1 minute
  • Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed
  • Add chicken broth and bring to a light boil
  • Add orzo, stir, lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 8 minutes or until orzo is done. I stirred it once after 5 minutes to keep it from sticking.
  • Stir in the spinach until wilted; add most of the bacon.
  • Season with salt and pepper as needed; top with bacon for serving.

Wow bacon! This was delicious! Thanks for the inspiration, Elly!

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4 comments:

  1. This looks wonderful! I will definitely be making this soon.

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  2. Bacon + mushrooms + spinach, I don't think you can go wrong!

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  3. This looks amazing! I love orzo. Love spinach. Love bacon. I might have to make this tonight!

    ReplyDelete