A keeper!

OMG - this recipe is amazing! (If I do say so myself). But then again, I'm a slut for pasta! I highly recommend everyone try this dish. If you don't love it, well, then there is just something wrong with you!

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound orzo pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
4 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used portabella mushrooms, because as my friend Cass told me once, "Who actually uses the white mushrooms?!?")
1/2 cup Marsala wine or chicken stock (I used wine - um, hello! When a recipe calls for wine, YOU USE THE STINKIN' WINE!)
1/4 cup heavy cream or milk (I used heavy cream)
1/2 cup (2oz) shredded fontina (you can buy this in a block from the Publix deli, but you can use all mozzarella if can't find fontina. This is really yummy cheese, so I just bought 1/4 lb from the deli)
1/2 cup (2oz) mozzarella cheese, diced (I just used shredded cheese)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. (I decided to use asparagus as well. I cut the asparagus into about 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces and added them to the pan at this time and cooked for about 5 minutes). Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the orzo with broth to the mushroom mixture. Add the cream, fontina (I think I used a little more than 1/2 cup!), mozzarella, peas, (asparagus), salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

5. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, and dried thyme. (I also melted a few tablespoons of butter and added it to the bread crumb mixture to make it sort of clumpy - this will make the top crunchier). Sprinkle the break crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 24 minutes.

Next time I will probably use more peas and asparagus to get a good dose of veggies! When this comes steaming out of the oven, your tastebuds will thank you!