Roasted Veggies Rock!

Roasted Vegetables with Orzo

2 Small Eggplants, 3/4” diced

2 Red Bell Peppers, 3/4“ diced

2 Yellow Bell Peppers, 3/4“ diced

2 Red Onions, peeled and 1” diced

6 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/3 C Olive Oil

1-1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 lb Orzo Pasta

Dressing:

1/3 C Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

1/3 C Olive Oil

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

For Assembly:

4 Green Onions, thinly sliced

1/4 C Pine Nuts, toasted

6-8 oz Feta Cheese

15 Fresh Basil Leaves, julienned

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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on 2 large sheet pans. Roast for 20 minutes then flip all veggies with a spatula. Roast for 20 more minutes or until browned.

While the veggies are roasting, cook the orzo according to package directions.

When orzo is cooked, drain orzo and combine with veggies in a large bowl.

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl then pour over veggie and pasta mixture.

Toss to combine.

When everything is cooled to room temperature, stir in the feta, pine nuts, basil, and green onions. Serve at room temperature.

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This is one of my very most favorite dishes on the planet. I LOVE roasted vegetables in a major way. Don't care for a particular veggie? Roast it and it's magically transformed into something delicious! This is a whole bowl of deliciousness! Plus, she is super pretty and will really dress up a table in a hurry!

I originally had this at a college graduation party for my sweet bonus daughter, Lindsey. It was love at first bite! I knew I had to have the recipe. The original recipe is Ina Garten's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables. Her recipe uses half as many vegetables as my version, a good bit more feta, and a healthy portion more olive oil. I wanted the vegetables to be the star of the show, so I doubled all of them! Roasted eggplant is truly a gift from the heavens, so why wouldn't I include two of these bad boys? If you look at the picture of the raw veggies, it looks like a LOT! It's ok - they cook down to just the small portion of what you see in the bottom of my giant glass bowl. Once you stir everything together, they truly get to see their moment in the spotlight!

This is a great dish if you need a side dish to feed a crowd. It is a stellar replacement for your typical, mayo slathered pasta salad! You can adjust it to accommodate a number of dietary restrictions, too. You could substitute gluten free orzo to accommodate a gluten allergy. You could also serve the feta on the side - vegans rejoice! Since it is best when served at room temperature, it is the perfect dish to take to a pot luck, a holiday gathering, or a picnic. It is truly no fuss!

Let's talk about the changes that I made to the original recipe. The 1/3 cup of olive oil for roasting the vegetables seems a bit overwhelming to me and makes the dish a bit too oily when it's finished. I use just enough olive oil to coat the veggies for roasting. Ms. Ina called for 3/4 lb of feta, and for it to be cubed. WOW is that a lot of feta! Now, I do have to tell you - buy the solid block of feta for this dish. I prefer big crumbles instead of cubes here, so the solid block is superior to the pre-crumbled stuff. Clearly, double the roasted vegetables is better. It just is. I also love the toasted pine nuts in this dish, so I usually use about a half cup instead of a quarter cup.

The most beautiful thing about this dish, other than its glorious flavor profile, is that you can adjust all of the parts to make it your own creation. Love feta? Add some more. Hate basil? Substitute spinach. Are you a huge fan of pine nuts? Throw some extra in! You get the idea! That tiny idea is truly the heart of cooking! You get to make recipes your very own. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I have!