one-pot creamy chicken and mushroom orzotto

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning, store-bought or homemade (see page 20)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

4¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound white mushrooms

1 shallot

6 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or BTB + water-see page 21)

1 pound orzo

½ cup heavy cream

2 huge handfuls of fresh baby spinach

1 lemon

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces), plus more for serving

Directions

1. Trim off any white fat from the chicken, then cut the breasts into

bite-size cubes. Right there on the cutting board, sprinkle the chicken

with the Italian seasoning, 1¼ teaspoons salt, some black

pepper, the garlic powder, and, if you want a little heat, the red

pepper flakes. Toss to coat.

2. Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet or heavy-bottomed pot or braiser

over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken in an even

layer and cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and

cook until browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon

to transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Meanwhile, thinly slice the mushrooms. Mince the shallot and

garlic.

4. In the same skillet (no need to wipe it out), melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release all their liquid and the shallot is tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in a big pinch of salt, then return the chicken to the pan along with any juices that collected on the plate and add the stock and orzo. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping up any orzo stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the cream and turn down the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to keep it bubbling gently, until the orzo is cooked and the sauce has thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach, tearing the leaves with your hands as you add them. Using a Microplane, grate the zest of the lemon directly into the skillet, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze in the juice from half of it. Add the Parm. Cook, stirring, until the spinach has wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. If your pasta has thickened up and is no longer saucy and loose like a risotto, add more water or stock to loosen it. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

6. Spoon the orzotto into bowls and serve topped with more Parm and black pepper. Cut the other lemon half into small wedges for serving.

Notes

swap if you're in the mood for a lighter meal, you could swap out half or all the cream for extra stock. Or, you could just double the Parm. Or, stir in a block of Boursin instead of heavy cream.

riff Ditch the chicken, double the mushrooms, and use low- sodium vegetable stock to make it vegetarian. Try adding ½½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, too.