In my family, baked pastas were always the crowd-pleasers, and I still love them—especially the crusty, cheesy tops. Full of cream and butter, this is a rich indulgence. Put it together a day ahead of time and bake it just before serving if you like.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

　　1 pound orzo pasta

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to grease the baking dish

　　1 onion, chopped

　　8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

　　1 cup Marsala wine

　　1/2 cup heavy cream

　　4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 1 cup)

　　4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)

　　1 cup frozen peas, thawed

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

　　1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　1 teaspoon dried thyme

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

　　

Step 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. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large heat-proof bowl. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté 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. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl, then add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

　　

Step 4

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and thyme. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.