Creamy Orzo Chicken with Red Peppers and Mushrooms
A creamy orzo pasta dish that features sautéed chicken breasts, red peppers, and mushrooms in a goat cheese sauce.
Servings: 4
Calories: 448kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ pound shiitake mushrooms cleaned, stemmed, and quartered
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon herbes de provence
- 1 cup of orzo about 6 oz.
- 2 ounces goat cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the chicken breasts with ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt and black pepper, then put the chicken in the pan and brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes per side. Continue to turn and cook the chicken breasts until they are cooked through. (They should feel firm and reach 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.) Remove chicken from pan.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in the same pan you used for the chicken.
- Sauté the bell pepper, mushrooms, and herbes de provence with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently and cook for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms have released their liquid and are lightly browned.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Cook the orzo until al dente, about 10 minutes, reserving about ⅓ cup of the pasta water at the end. While orzo is cooking, slice chicken breasts crosswise or shred. Drain orzo and set aside.
- Turn heat under the skillet to medium-high.
- Add goat cheese, cream, white wine, ¼ cup pasta water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the pan. Simmer gently and stir until smooth. Add additional reserved pasta water if you think you will need more liquid to incorporate the orzo and chicken.
- Stir in orzo and chicken and top with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
You can omit the white wine if you prefer not to use (you may need to add more pasta water, or replace with chicken or vegetable broth). Also, feel free to use different herbs instead of Herbes de Provence. Thyme, oregano, basil, and tarragon would also be delicious here, or a combination of them. Note for vegetarians: this dish is lovely without the chicken as well. Feel free to substitute firm tofu instead, or leave out entirely.
Nutrition
Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 307mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
