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Post, photos, and recipe development by guest author, Carly Hanellin.

If you are looking for something easy and impressive, look no further! Easy Mushroom Orzo with Basil Pesto is a quick pasta recipe that never fails to impress. I like to top it with crumbled goat cheese or ricotta with black pepper. I love the pesto because it is made with walnuts. Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts, but this can be expensive. By subbing walnuts, you get the health benefits of them, and also a fun nutty flavor.

Easy Mushroom Orzo With Basil Pesto

Hello friends!

I don't know about you, but I find orzo to be such an interesting type of pasta.

It is pasta but shaped like rice.

Because it is a small and delicate pasta, I wanted to try a recipe with a sauce that won't totally drown the pasta itself.

I figured pesto sauce would be my best bet, and it was awesome!

I like to make a quick and easy pesto in my blender and save it for any use I may need.

It worked perfectly paired with the orzo.

I also served it with sauteed mushrooms and goat cheese sprinkled on top.

Goat cheese is rather salty, so it was a nice finishing touch to the dish. 

Ingredients

• 16 oz box of orzo
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ cup walnuts
• 3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• white button mushrooms
• 6 oz crumbled goat cheese

Kitchen Tools

• Chef’s knife
• Wooden spoon for stirring
• Ladle for serving
• Serving bowls and spoons
• strainer
• high power blender

What makes this recipe so simple and easy, is that it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and has very few ingredients. 

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If you make any of this Easy Mushroom Orzo with Basil Pesto, please let us know in the comments below, thank you for reading and following along!

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This post was first published on 1/13/2020 and updated and republished on 7/25/2021.

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Easy Mushroom Orzo with Basil Pesto

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

If you are looking for something easy and impressive, look no further! Easy Mushroom Orzo with Basil Pesto is a quick pasta recipe that never fails to impress. I like to top it with crumbled goat cheese or ricotta with black pepper. I love the pesto because it is made with walnuts. Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts, but this can be expensive. By subbing walnuts, you get the health benefits of them, and also a fun nutty flavor.

Print

Ingredients

• 16 oz box of orzo
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ cup walnuts
• 3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• white button mushrooms
• 6 oz crumbled goat cheese

Instructions

1. First, start boiling 4-6 quarts of water over high heat.
2. Next, peel the garlic and set it aside. Then, thinly sliced white button mushrooms and set them aside. Pick basil and set it aside. Grate cheese and set aside.
3.Combine peeled garlic, walnuts, basil, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Heat sautee pan with oil, then add the mushrooms and sear for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. Once the pot of water comes to a boil, add the whole box of orzo and cook for about 10 minutes. Once al dente, strain.
5. Finally, ad pesto, mushrooms, and goat cheese all to your orzo and fold in together until fully incorporated. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 662Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 383mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 16g

Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best. If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe!

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Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 8. She loves design, being creative, and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.

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