Name: The Best Roasted Summer Veggies with Orzo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 Zucchini, sliced; 1 Yellow Squash, sliced; 1 Medium Red Onion, cut into chunks; 1 lb. Asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces; 1 lb. Portobello Mushrooms, thickly sliced; 4 Cloves Garlic, minced; 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil; 1 Pinch White Sugar; 2 Tbsp. Chicken Base; 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine; 1 (16 oz) Box Orzo Pasta; 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated

Roasted Summer Veggies with Orzo

I love summer vegetables, especially when they come straight from the garden. Fresh vegetables make the best roasted summer veggies with orzo. This is one of my favorite summer side dishes.

I do make this in the fall and winter too, but then I use store bought vegetables rather than the fresh picked ones. It still goes great with any meal whether the veggies are fresh, canned, or frozen (fresh IS the best way).

Here in this house, we actually eat quite a bit of chicken, so it seems as if this dish gets put next to baked chicken more than any other meat. Salmon is always great with a rice or pasta loaded with vegetables too, pretty sure we did that a few times as well.

What is Orzo?

Orzo is a tiny little pasta shaped sort of like a large grain of rice. I usually use it when I make pilaf which means I keep it on hand quite often. Whipping out this recipe usually wipes out my orzo supply, but that’s fine, it’s not too expensive.

This pasta is typically used in soups such as minestrone, or other Italian soups. It is sometimes used as a substitute for rice in other dishes. You might be able to find it colored like other pasta shapes, although I never have.

Several cultures other than Italian do have their own tiny pastas as well. This means that we can see many dishes across the world using these delicate little bits of goodness.

Putting it Together

To pull this one off, you first chop up your vegetables and coat them with garlic and olive oil. Then spread them out on a baking dish and bake at 450 for about 20 -25 minutes.

Mix your chicken base wine and water in a large pan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add in your orzo and cook it for about 8-10 minutes. You always want your pasta Al dente, which is slightly firm, but not crunchy. Nobody really likes soggy pasta, or under cooked pasta, there is a happy medium.

All that is left is to combine the drained orzo with the roasted vegetables. Mix them together so that the vegetables are evenly spread through the pasta and serve it warm.