Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Lemon

This orzo with roasted veggies and lemon recipe is an easy side dish I made for my husband’s birthday dinner. Since we’ve been stuck at home during the Coronavirus quarantine, I had to make do with what I had on hand for his celebratory meal. We had some orzo in the pantry and some bell pepper, onion, broccoli, asparagus, and grape tomatoes in the refrigerator. I roasted the veggies, then tossed them with the cooked orzo, lots of lemon zest & juice, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. We all thought this orzo with roasted veggies & lemon was delicious, and it paired beautifully with the chicken Francese, steamed artichoke, and crusty bread that I also served for dinner. Thankfully, the birthday boy loved his meal.

Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Lemon

Ingredients:

• ½ bell pepper, diced
• ¼ yellow onion, diced
• 4 asparagus spears, woody ends removed, chopped
• 1 cup baby grape tomatoes
• ¼ cup broccoli florets, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp olive oil, or more to taste
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 8 oz orzo, cooked in salted water, per package instructions *Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid
• 2 tbsp butter
• Juice & zest from 1 lemon *Plus more for serving
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated *Plus more for serving
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

How to Make Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Lemon:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the chopped bell pepper, onion, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, and garlic slivers on the baking sheet, then drizzle with olive oil and season with crushed red pepper, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper to taste; toss to coat evenly.

Roast for 10 minutes, then stir and roast for another 5-7 minutes or until veggies are tender and the tomatoes are ready to burst.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Cook the orzo in a large saucepan of well-salted water until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking water.

Add the butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the orzo and toss to coat evenly.

Next, add the parmesan cheese and a bit of reserved pasta water, if needed, then toss to coat evenly.

Finally, add the roasted veggies and freshly chopped parsley, then toss. Taste, then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed.

Serve with additional lemon and parmesan on the side. Enjoy.