Chicken Spinach Orzo

Ingredients

• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
•  4 button mushrooms
• 1 shallot
• 3 garlic cloves
• 10g thyme
• 2 tablespoons whole grain flour
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups shredded baby spinach

Method

In a pot of boiling salted water, prepare the pasta following the package directions, then drain it thoroughly.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Toss in the mushrooms and shallot, cooking and stirring often until they become tender, which should take around 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and thyme, stirring until you can smell their wonderful aroma, about 1 minute.

Stir in the flour and cook for about a minute until it turns a light brown. Slowly add the vegetable broth while whisking, and continue to cook, whisking constantly, for about 1-2 minutes until everything is well combined.

Add the Parmesan, and cook while whisking continuously until the mixture thickens slightly. 

Combine the orzo and spinach, stirring until the spinach has softened, which should take around 3 minutes.

For extra richness you can add some half and half milk or cream with parmesan cheese.