(This article was first published in the April print edition of the Hendersonian.)
What happens when you pair roasted vegetables with orzo? You have a delicious dish that tastes great with everything from grilled chicken to fish to steak. Toss in lentils or chickpeas for protein if you’re a vegetarian or vegan.
Mix and match the vegetables to suit your taste and preferences. With the ready availability of most ingredients, this recipe can be prepared year-round. Add-ins or substitutes can include broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash, to name a few. Whatever combination of vegetables you choose, it’s sure to be delicious.
Lemon Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 bell pepper, cored, seeded, & chopped
1 small yellow onion or 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
8 asparagus spears, wooden ends removed and each spear cut into 3 pieces
1 cup baby grape or cherry tomatoes
8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, cut in half
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 – 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced or minced
1 tbsp olive oil (for roasted vegetables)
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 ounces orzo
32 ounces vegetable stock or broth – water will work in place of the stock/broth
1 tbsp olive oil (for orzo)
1 fresh lemon
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Toss the chopped bell pepper, onion/shallot, asparagus, tomatoes, garlic slivers, mushrooms, artichokes and garlic slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch each of crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Roast for 10 minutes then stir and roast for another five minutes or until veggies are tender and the tomatoes are ready to burst. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
In a large saucepan, bring vegetable stock to boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, per package instructions.
All the vegetable stock should be absorbed. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest to the orzo and toss to coat evenly. Add the roasted vegetables and toss until well mixed. Add the parmesan cheese and/or parsley if desired Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature with additional parmesan on the side, if desired.
Merritt Bates-Thomas is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who has been sharing recipes with a healthier twist on WBKR FM 92.5’s What’s Cooking since 2017. In May 2023, she joined ABC 25 Local Lifestyles to share recipes and tips for flavorful cooking. She also appears on CW7’s Daybreak Extra’s Joe’s Kitchen and is a contributor to Kentucky Monthly. You can follow her on Instagram @thekitchentransition and now on Facebook at The Kitchen Transition.
