If you’ve been on the hunt for that perfect spring dish that has plenty of fresh veggies in it, tastes amazing and fills you up, we’ve got just the thing for you with this recipe. This lemon garlic orzo with roasted veggies is lip-smacking good and is packed with tons of flavor and nutrients. Obviously lemon and garlic are two of the primary flavors here, which complement and highlight all the other fresh ingredients – mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini and tomatoes – along with toasted pine nuts for crunch, and crumbled feta for a bit of tang. This is just so yummy!
First and foremost, this is a dish comprised mostly of roasted veggies. You can add or subtract any vegetables you like, but we found our perfect balance to include all the ones we mentioned above. We like a nice mix of color when it comes to our produce, so we made sure to include red tomatoes and peppers, yellow peppers and green zucchini (red onion or shallot would also be nice here), and then we coated them in olive oil and popped ‘em in our 425º F oven. Keep an eye on them once they go in, but we like a higher temperature to ensure they brown nicely and get a little char to them. Remember: more browned = more flavor. Each oven is different though, so check in after the 20-minute mark and rotate the pans or turn over the veggies as needed.
While your fresh ingredients are roasting, you’ll cook the orzo (an ingredient that looks like rice, but is technically a pasta) and whisk together your seasoned lemon dressing that ties everything together. While you could use a store-bought dressing here, we love to make our own since they’re so simple to throw together and have such a big impact on the finished dish. Plus, all it takes is olive oil, lemon juice and Italian seasoning and, once it’s drizzled over the orzo and veggies, you’ve got yourself a spring dinner that never ceases to impress. Trust us, you’ll make this again and again!
Roasted Veggie Orzo
1 hour to prepare serves 4-6
Ingredients
- Orzo:
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 1/2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, cut into squares
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, cut into squares
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 1 (12 oz.) package cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth
- 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425ยบ F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes and garlic, then season with salt and pepper, and coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Toss together until evenly coated, then divide the veggies between lined baking sheets.
- Place baking sheets in oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, start checking at 20 minutes, tossing and rotating pans halfway through.
- Remove from oven and set aside.
- While vegetables roast, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat and toast orzo for 2-3 minutes, or until golden.
- Stir in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, then cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Add roasted veggies and orzo to a serving bowl or skillet, pour dressing on top and toss to combine.
- Serve hot, with feta cheese and pine nuts on top and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Vanilla and Bean