Creamy one-pan orzo with chicken, mushroom & spinach recipe

Everyone loves a one-pan dinner and I’m loving this easy one-pan orzo pasta with mushrooms, spinach, and chicken. Garlic and thyme add delicious flavour along with the umami-laden mushrooms & goat’s cheese. This dish comes together in about 20 minutes, and I used leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken.

I’m not normally the biggest fan of cooking pasta with other ingredients. I feel it’s best boiled in salty boiling water to get to its optimal taste and texture. However, orzo is a little different as the shape is so small and it can cook in a similar way to rice in risotto.

You don’t need to stir this as much as you would risotto, but orzo tends to stick to the bottom of the pan, so ensure you stir quite frequently.

I deglazed the pan with wine and this adds amazing flavour to the dish. If you want to leave it out, simply use a little extra stock.

Stock-wise I used a combination of half chicken stock and half porcini mushroom stock as both ingredients are included in the dish. You can use all of either one.

This recipe uses exactly half a leftover Woolies rotisserie chicken. I picked off every scrap of meat from the bone. The leftover carcass can be used to make chicken stock.

I was going to just add cream, and this would work perfectly, but had a block of Chevin in my fridge and really felt like adding that strong flavour too. It melts into the dish at the add making it ultra-delicious.

To carry on with the sharper cheese flavour profile I used Pecorino Roman to finish it off, but Parmesan would work too. I little goes a long way here so I added a little in the dish and a light scattering at the end.

Ingredients and Substitutions:

Chicken: Use leftover rotisserie or roast chicken for the best flavour, alternatively any cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts/thighs.
Orzo: Other types of pasta won’t yield the same result, so stick with orzo.
Mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms or any preferred variety (brown mushrooms may affect the colour).
Spinach: Roughly chopped baby spinach (or whole) or substitute with chopped baby kale.
Thyme & parsley: Fresh herbs are recommended; dried herbs won’t have the same flavour and freshness.
White wine: Substitute with lemon juice and extra stock if preferred.
Chicken stock and mushroom stock: Vegetable stock works as an alternative.
Cream: Pouring cream, heavy cream, crème fraiche, or full cream milk can be used.
Goats cheese / Chevin: Optional; omit or increase Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese as desired. Grate for maximum flavour.

Storage & reheating reamy one pan orzo with chicken, mushroom & spinach

This creamy orzo dish is best eaten straight after making it.

However if you need to reheat this, do so in the microwave for a few minutes. Alternatively, add it to a pot with a little stock or water and allow it to heat gently through.

This dish will freeze but due to the cream and chevin, it could split once reheated after freezing.

Other pasta dishes you might like:

Orzo with roasted tomatoes, feta and olives

Rigatoni alla norma

Roasted butternut and mascarpone pasta sauce with mushrooms

My best pasta dishes

This delicious creamy pasta pairs perfectly with ‘The Dry Land Collection’ Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc by Perderberg Wines.

Perdeberg’s Dry Land Collection showcases unique, award-winning wines made from dryland vineyards with minimal intervention. These well-balanced wines offer complexity, concentration, and value, reflecting the enduring spirit of nature.

The Courageous OLD VINE Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2021 showcases aromas of citrus, pear, peach and pineapple. The palate boasts hints of citrus, litchi and vanilla, while the finish is crisp with well-defined acidity. Perfect on its own or served with seafood dishes, fragrant chicken curry and rich cheeses.

What to serve with this orzo pasta

A crusty loaf of bread or the best garlic bread.

A green salad with a vibrant vinaigrette dressing.

Recipe – serves 2 – 4

Prep Time:10

Cook Time:18

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion finely chopped
250 gms portobello mushrooms sliced
2 tsp thyme leaves stripped from stalks approx. 3
3 cloves garlic minced
80 ml Perderberg Chenin Blanc
1 cup orzo pasta
2 cups chicken stock or ½ chicken and ½ mushroom stock
2 cups shredded chicken half a small rotisserie or roast chicken
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves / 100gms roughly chopped
100 - 125 ml cream 1/2 cup
50 gms creamy goats’ cheese/ Chevin
30 – 40gms freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan and more to serve
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbs finely chopped Italian parsley

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onions. Sauté for a few minutes until translucent.
Add the sliced mushrooms and thyme and stir to combine. Put the lid on the skillet to generate a little moisture. Stir frequently and if necessary, add another splash of olive oil.
Once the mushrooms start to caramelize, add the minced garlic, and stir for a minute or so. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and allow most of the liquid to cook off.
Add the orzo pasta and toss to coat it in the pan. Pour over the chicken/mushroom stock and cook over a medium-low heat for about 12 – 14 minutes. Stir the pan regularly to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom. If necessary, add about ¼ cup of the cream and a splash of boiling water.
Once the pasta is almost cooked through, add the chicken and spinach leaves and cream. Stir until the spinach has wilted and the cream combined.
Once the spinach has wilted add pieces of the goat’s cheese and stir until it has melted into the pasta. Add the grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) and check the seasoning add a little salt and black pepper to taste.
Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve a little more grated cheese if desired.