Baked Parmesan, Asparagus & Mushroom Rice Pilaf. This savory side dish starts on the stove top, then bakes to perfection in the oven, resulting in perfect rice every time. A great complement to spring meals!
I spent part of my weekend doing some serious spring cleaning. See, I'm pretty organized {some might say slightly obsessive}, but I have this one teensy little issue with procrastination. And indecisiveness. And making piles. Combine the three things and they're a complete disaster.
I regularly clear out all of Cole's outgrown clothes, toys, and things around the house that are no longer in use, but then I end up setting them aside in boxes or piles, thinking that I'll make the time to list them on our local "buy, barter or sell" page or find just the right person/charity to donate them to. {Spoiler alert: I procrastinate on making a decision and the piles just keep growing.}
But last weekend, I was overcome by a bout of Spring Fever and I FINALLY cleared the piles, vacuumed the fur {our lab sheds like crazy}, dusted the cobwebs {gee, our home sounds like a real palace, doesn't it?} and got things organized. As organized as they can truly be with a small child in the house, anyway.
When my physical space is clear, so is my mind, so I was inspired to head to the kitchen and come up with something "spring-y" to share since everyone over on Instagram stories voted for a savory side dish for Easter and springtime celebrations.
I live to serve, so here ya go... Baked Parmesan, Asparagus & Mushroom Rice Pilaf. Why? Because:
- You all are always asking for easy things to make.
- Rice pilaf is underutilized, in my opinion. {So many variations & posibilities!}
- There are few things that say spring more than asparagus and fresh thyme.
- The cooking process is so simple and basically foolproof.
- It's perfect for an Easter side dish, especially if you already happen to be baking something in the oven at 375 degrees.
- You don't have to wait for a special occasion to make it; it's a great side dish for any weeknight!
A few months ago, I started experimenting with baking larger batches of rice and quinoa in the oven to save time during the week, and I've become somewhat infatuated with this method because it's SO DARN EASY. Aside from the short time you saute the ingredients on the stove top in this recipe, it's basically the same idea; add boiling water to the rice, cover and bake to perfection. I'm not even kidding, I've never made such perfectly fluffy rice and quinoa in my life.
I have only ONE bone to pick with my own recipe. Because everything gets baked all together, the asparagus does get a little too soft and overcooked. Honestly, that didn't bother me as much as the fact that it loses its bright, verdant color. If you're so inclined and don't mind washing one more little skillet, you can cook the asparagus separately and just add it to the rice once its done so that it keeps some crunch and color. But I mean, there are also earthy mushrooms, crunchy sliced almonds and salty Parm in the picture, so truthfully, there may be enough there to take the attention off of mushy asparagus. But, you know, full disclosure and all.
In a way, making this dish helped me clean out my refrigerator, too, so I guess I can add this to my list of accomplishments for the week in terms of spring cleaning. Print the recipe out, if you must, but definitely don't place it in a pile somewhere that gets forgotten!
Baked Parmesan, Asparagus & Mushroom Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 5 ounces sliced cremini or white mushrooms
- ½ a yellow onion finely diced
- 1 ½ cups chopped asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 ½ cups boiling water or broth of your choice*
- ¼ grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large, deep skillet, heat butter until melted.
- Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until they've released some of their liquid and begin to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add onion to the skillet and cook until softened and translucent, another 3-4 minutes.
- Add asparagus to the mixture and cook for about a minute. Stir in sliced almonds and rice and cook, stirring until the rice is fragrant and beginning to toast. Sprinkle with salt and add thyme sprigs. {You can fish the stems out once it's done cooking.}
- Add boiling water or broth to the pan, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Cover with a lid or tightly with foil and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Remove from oven and allow to steam for about 5 minutes before uncovering and fluffing with a fork. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with extra almonds before serving if desired.
Bertha says
I want to double this recipe, will rice cook evenly? I can make 1 cup rice very well, but when I make double rice comes out crunchy or not cooked
thekitchenprep says
I've never tried doubling it before, but I would think that it should work. Are you doubling the liquid content as well? I'd add a little extra liquid (a bit more than double the original amount) and see if that helps.