Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Cremini Mushrooms

More carbs for my man! Tonight I tried a recipe I got from fellow June 08 Knottie, Cnstarz. She got the recipe from Cooking Light.

Not only was the recipe easy, it tasted really damn good. Jake sauteed up some asparagus (I'm so proud of the cooking skills he's developing!) and added some olive oil and basalmic vinegar to them.

The recipe called for pine nuts. I didn't have any, so I omitted them and put in some cremini mushrooms to add an earthy flavor.

This is a recipe I will use a lot more. It made a great main dish but would be good as a side dish as well.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup orzo

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (I used more than a 1/4 cup--I love cheese)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (also added more)

salt and pepper to taste

toasted pine nuts

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stire in broth and water;bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat;stir in cheese, basil, salt and pepper (and any other add-ins). Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately.