Delicious Mushroom Orzo Pasta Recipe

This is a delicious and easy recipe that takes about 20-30 minutes to prepare and uses just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your house.  I stole this recipe from my favorite cookbook, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "River Cottage Veg Everyday!", and made a few minor adjustments.  The cookbook has amazing vegetarian recipes that are very easy to make and don't have a very long list of obscure ingredients.  I cook from it nearly every night.

I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup of orzo pasta
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 cups of cleaned, sliced mushrooms (a variety is great, but I only had Baby Bellas on hand)
4 chopped cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine (I just used the kind I happened to be drinking at the time)
1/2 sour cream or creme fraiche 
handful of parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Other items:
You'll need a skillet (I use my good ole dependable cast iron skillet) a deep saucepan to cook the orzo, collander, sharp knife, chopping board, and a spatula.

Fill a large saucepan with 4 cups of water.  Put oven on medium high.  Once at a roiling boil, add a sprinkle of salt and 1 cup of orzo.  Cook until al dente (about 8 minutes).  Drain the pasta in a collander and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of butter in your skillet on medium-high.  Add half the mushrooms and cook, stirring often until all the liquid released has evaporated and the mushrooms are starting to caramelize.  Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and repeat with the rest of the oil, butter, and mushrooms.  

Cooking the mushrooms in two batches avoids overcrowding and ensure the best cooking for the mushrooms.

Return the first batch of mushrooms to the skillet.  Add the garlic and balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring, for a minute or two.  Add the white wine and cook until there is almost no liquid left.  Add the sour cream (or creme fraiche), reduce the heat a little and stir until it is just about simmering.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I also add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper because I like a little kick!

Combine the cooked orzo pasta and mix well.  Serve scattered with lots of chopped parsley. 

Enjoy and please let me know what you think!