Garlic and mushroom orzo

Ingredients

• 225g uncooked orzo
• 3 Tbsp butter, divided
• 450g mushrooms, sliced (use portabellini and button mushrooms)
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ cup double cream
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 30g freshly-grated parmigiano
• 80g fresh baby spinach
• ½ cup loosely-packed chopped fresh basil
• Zest and juice of 1 small lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring water to the boil for the orzo; once boiling, add the orzo and cook until 2 minutes short of al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp butter in a large pan over medium-high heat, then sauté the mushrooms until a bit soft, then transfer to a clean dish.
3. Add the remaining butter to the pan, then add the onion, garlic and cayenne pepper and cook for a few minutes until the onion is soft; stir often. Add the cooked mushrooms and cream, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Once the pasta is ready, add it to the pan along with 1 cup of the starchy water it was cooking in; cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring frequently.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parmigiano, spinach, basil and lemon juice and zest (if using) and stir, allowing the spinach to wilt; if more liquid is needed, add more of the starchy water. Taste and add more season and or lemon juice if desired, then serve seasoned with parmigiano.

Serves 4.

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