Creamy Garlic Spinach Orzo

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
• Salt & pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Add the oil, butter, and onion to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often (this infuses the orzo with more flavor and toasts it a bit).
3. Stir in the chicken broth and cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often. You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). You want it to gently bubble vs. furiously boil, and you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked.
4. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. The orzo will absorb the liquid quickly, so if it still seems like there's too much liquid, just wait a little bit longer. Season with salt & pepper as needed.