Orzo with Roasted Vegetables | Ina Garten

Orzo with roasted vegetables shows up in one of Ina Garten’s entertaining outdoor menus on her website. With it are a rack of lamb, a cheese and fruit platter, vanilla ice cream and ginger shortbread. For a cozy feel, she fills the tables with flowers and candles. Who wouldn’t want a spread like this, especially when you are the invited guests? Even if you’re doing the cooking, the menu is fairly cook-friendly, allowing everyone to sit back and enjoy. Think garden party or moonlit dinner outdoor.

Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite go-to cooking methods; it’s fairly hands-off. Forty to forty-five minutes in the oven, the dish is done. The slightly charred roasted vegetables appeal to the eye as well as the palate. It can’t be easier. In Ina Garten’s recipe, the vegetables, including eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers are chopped and diced.

The prep work may require time, but it’s an occasion you don’t mind elevating your game for friends and family. These roasted vegetables together with orzo, red onion, feta and pine nuts, everything takes on a uniform size. In each bite, you taste eggplant, bell pepper, aromatics, herbs, cheese and nuts, distinctly and as a whole. Effortlessly, there’s more than meet the eye. An amazing dish as part of the ensemble you want to bring it to your guests.

For outdoor entertaining, Ina Garten has the winning ideas and a well-thought-out plan. Most of all, I like how smooth and breezy the menu is to get through, leaving you more time out of the kitchen. Finally, I’ve learned over the years, having a dinner party while testing out new recipe is generally not a formula for success. Stick with the tried-and-true.

Print Recipe

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

By Ina Garten – Serves: 6

Chop and dice the eggplant, red and yellow bell pepper, aromatics, feta in the same size, then roast the vegetables. In every bite, you want to be able to taste everything.

Ingredients

• 1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
• 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound orzo
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• TO ASSEMBLE:
• 4 scallions, minced (white and green parts), I used chive
• 1/4 cup pignolis, toasted
• 3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
• 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

2

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

3

Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

4

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

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/orzo-with-roasted-vegetables-1