Classic Barefoot Contessa orzo with roasted vegetables, feta and pine nuts. Just in time for Mother’s Day, one of her best recipes in a slightly tweaked version! While it stands alone beautifully, it also pairs well with anything on the grill – shrimp, steak, chicken, or even just some grilled bread.
This recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook, which might be my favorite of all. The idea here is roasting the vegetables, and tossing them with the hot orzo and the lemon vinaigrette (which is HUGELY simple), and allowing everything to come together. Toss it at the end with the fancy ingredients and you have a meal of a salad.
The beauty of this is the ability to adjust whatever veggies you prefer – in the fall, you can do butternut squash and add some sliced kale to wilt while everything is hot. Ina’s original recipe calls for roasted eggplant, which isn’t a favorite here, so we use zucchini, asparagus and summer squash, but you could simply just do peppers and onions if you prefer. All that matters is that you make it the way YOU like it.
Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 small zucchini sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 small summer squash sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 2 peppers - any color 1-inch diced
- 1 bunch asparagus sliced into 2 inch pieces
- 1 large red onion peeled and 1-inch diced or sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/3 cup good olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 oz orzo (uncooked) (1 cup)
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup good olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- 1 bunch scallions minced (white and green parts)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
- 3/4 pound good feta broken apart into small bites
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the zucchini, squash, asparagus, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on 2-3 large sheet pans - don't crowd them, as things will steam vs. roast. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
- Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
- For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.
Notes
