cynthia's orzo salad

we had this the weekend after the 4th in tahoe. the bf's sister made it and i couldnt stop eating it! i tried to recreate it at home with some veggies we had in the fridge but the result wasnt as good as the one we had in tahoe. maybe we were super hungry? or i was missing something but the cheese was a bit grainy

i found this recipe and thought it would be better:

ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 1/4 pounds yellow crookneck squash, cut into 1/3-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1/2 pound mushrooms, cut into 1/3-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta; 12 to 13 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions

Melt butter with oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; sauté 2 minutes. Add squash. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook orzo in boiling salted water until just tender but firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup pasta liquid.

Mix orzo, cheese, cream, and 3 tablespoons parsley into vegetables in skillet. Stir over low heat until creamy, adding some reserved pasta liquid if dry, about 3 minutes. Mix in pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.