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Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

Balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable—this recipe has it all.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
27 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 613 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 to 1 ½ pounds, cut into chunks
  • 1-2 1-2 red bell peppers cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 8 8 ounces white button mushrooms quartered
  • 1 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 1 pound orzo pasta
  • 8 8 ounces cream cheese softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
  • 1 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • ½ ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.
  2. While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Notes

  • Serve Immediately: this pasta is best served immediately as it tends to get less creamy as it sits at room temperature – so serve warm right as it finishes cooking! (Incidentally, it heated up just fine the next day in the microwave on low power.)

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Serving Calories 613kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 62g (21%) Protein 41g (82%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Cholesterol 120mg (40%) Sodium 589mg (25%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 5g (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 613

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Serving
Calories 613kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 62g 21%
Protein 41g 82%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 120mg 40%
Sodium 589mg 25%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 5g 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.