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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Creamy Mushroom Orzo-Style Pasta Bowls with Zucchini

Silky garlic-mushroom cream sauce with lemon and thyme coats tender pasta, golden zucchini, red pepper and wilted spinach, finished with salty feta and fresh parsley.

Creamy Mushroom Orzo-Style Pasta Bowls with Zucchini

Ingredients

  • 12 oz340 gPasta, dryshort shape such as penne
  • 12⅔ cups3,000 gWater
  • ¾ tsp5 gSalt
  • 2 tbsp27 gOlive oil
  • 2 medium390 gZucchinihalved lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 cup chopped150 gRed bell pepperthinly sliced
  • 4¾ cups sliced340 gWhite mushroomssliced
  • 1 medium110 gYellow onionfinely chopped
  • 4 cloves12 gGarlicminced
  • 1 tsp1 gDried thyme
  • 7 oz200 gPlain Greek yogurt, nonfatat room temperature
  • ⅓ cup grated30 gGrated Parmesan
  • 5 cups loosely packed150 gBaby spinach
  • 1½ tbsp20 gLemon juice
  • ½ tsp1 gBlack pepper
  • ⅓ cup crumbled60 gFeta cheesecrumbled
  • 2½ tbsp chopped10 gFresh parsleychopped

Steps

  1. Prep first: slice the zucchini, red bell pepper and mushrooms, chop the onion, mince the garlic, crumble the feta and chop the parsley.
  2. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot with half of the salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, then scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
  3. While the pasta cooks, heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and red bell pepper and cook 5 to 6 minutes until browned at the edges; move them to a plate.
  4. Add the remaining half of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook undisturbed 3 minutes, then stir and cook 4 minutes more until golden.
  5. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes until soft, then stir in the garlic, thyme and the remaining half of the salt and cook 1 minute.
  6. Pour in half of the reserved pasta water and stir in the Parmesan. Take the skillet off the heat, let it cool for 1 minute, then stir in the Greek yogurt until creamy.
  7. Return the skillet to low heat. Add the drained pasta and the spinach and toss until the spinach wilts, adding more of the reserved pasta water a splash at a time for a silky sauce; do not let it boil.
  8. Stir in the zucchini and red bell pepper, the lemon juice and the black pepper.
  9. Divide among 4 bowls and top with the feta and parsley.

Contains: Milk, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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