Orzo with Bacon, Spinach, and Mushrooms

The other day I went in search of a new idea for orzo on a cooking board I frequent. Elly recommended this recipe from her blog. As soon as I saw pancetta, I was sold. Any form of bacon makes everything better!

I used her recipe as inspiration, but instead of pancetta, roasted artichokes, and Swiss chard, I used what I had on hand - bacon, mushrooms, and spinach. My adaptation of her recipe is below.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices raw bacon, chopped
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 c white wine
• 2 c chicken broth
• 1 c orzo
• 1/2 bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat
• Add bacon and saute until brown. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon.
• Remove half of the bacon grease from the pan.
• Add onions and garlic; saute 3 minutes
• Add mushrooms, saute 1 minute
• Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed
• Add chicken broth and bring to a light boil
• Add orzo, stir, lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 8 minutes or until orzo is done. I stirred it once after 5 minutes to keep it from sticking.
• Stir in the spinach until wilted; add most of the bacon.
• Season with salt and pepper as needed; top with bacon for serving.

Wow bacon! This was delicious! Thanks for the inspiration, Elly!