One pot Orzo pasta with Hidden Veggies
One Pot Orzo Pasta with Hidden Veggies
Ingredients: makes 6 servings
1 lb extra lean ground beef
16 oz container of mushrooms
1¼ cups orzo
1 (15 oz) jar pasta sauce
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
16 oz frozen broccoli
1 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Water
Olive oil spray
Seasoning (to taste): garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper
Garnish: parmesan cheese, parsley
Instructions:
In a large greased pan over medium heat, cook the beef until browned. Drain excess oil and set aside.
While the beef cooks, add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped — they should resemble ground beef. (If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop mushrooms by hand until you reach a similar texture.)
Once the beef is done and set aside, in the same pan add half of the chopped onion and garlic. Cook until translucent and fragrant, then add the mushrooms. Sauté until most of the water from the mushrooms has evaporated, they’re browned, and have reduced in size. Set aside with the beef.
In the same pan, add the remaining onion and garlic along with the dry orzo. Toast the orzo for a few minutes until golden brown, spraying with olive oil as needed to prevent sticking.
Once toasted, add just enough water to submerge the orzo. Cover and cook until orzo is al dente, checking frequently and adding more water as needed to prevent burning.
While the orzo cooks, prepare the frozen broccoli according to package instructions. Once cooked, add 1 tbsp butter, salt, and pepper, and mix until the butter is fully melted and coats the broccoli.
When the orzo is al dente, add the beef and mushrooms back into the pan. Stir in enough pasta sauce to reach your desired consistency, then add the heavy whipping cream and mix until well combined. Simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors meld together, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and parsley.
You can store this as one batch or divide evenly between meal prep containers
Store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Once ready to eat, reheat in the microwave and top with additional parmesan if desired.
Enjoy!
Macros: 486 kcal, 33 g/pro, 62 g/carbs, 12 g/fat, 7 g/fiber