Orzo with roasted vegetables is a side dish that is so easy to prepare, packed with flavor and beautiful too. It's great to meal prep and enjoy for several meals since it reheats well.
Orzo with roasted vegetables is just the thing to enjoy when fresh vegetables are in abundance. The pasta is so pretty and dainty and when you add in a whole bunch of vibrant and colorful roasted vegetables, it just becomes a star.
Roasting vegetables intensifies their flavor, since they caramelize in the oven. All that great flavor is packed into the vegetables and isn't washed away as it would if you had cooked it on the stove. There is so much more flavor than steaming too.
Roasting vegetables is so simple - it's as easy as tossing them on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Choose whichever vegetables you like, slide them into the oven and you'll have dinner on the table in the amount of time that it takes to cook a pot of orzo. Serve this with some grilled chicken or shrimp kabobs and it becomes an easy main course.
Ingredients:
- orzo
- Orzo is pasta that is shaped like rice. It's so dainty and elegant. Of course, you can substitute any other pasta that you like as well.
- bell peppers
- I usually use sweet bell peppers for this recipe, but you can use any peppers that you like and even add some hot peppers to the mix to give this orzo some heat.
- tomatoes
- zucchini
- onion (I like red onion for this recipe, but you can use white or yellow onion too)
- garlic
- salt, ground black pepper
- olive oil
- fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, green onions, etc.)
How to Make Orzo With Roasted Vegetables
Before you begin, place the pot of water to cook the orzo on the stove. This way, the water will come to a boil while you're prepping the vegetables. If your water takes longer to boil than 10-15 minutes, put it on the stove earlier.
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place an extra large rimmed baking sheet to heat up while the oven is preheating.
- Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. Seed the peppers and tomatoes and chop into ½ inch cubes. Chop the zucchini into ½ -¾ inch cubes. Coarsely chop the onion and press the garlic through a garlic press or mince with a knife.
- Toss all the vegetables in a large bowl with olive oil until evenly mixed, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Place the vegetables onto the hot baking sheet - you should hear the sizzle right away. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the veggies are soft, broil for the last 5 minutes or so, just to get more color on the veggies and get a slight char.
- Cook the orzo. When the vegetables are halfway cooked, the water should have boiled, cook the orzo according to package instructions. Drain.
- Combine the cooked orzo with the roasted vegetables and the minced parsley. (You can also add some lemon juice and/or more olive oil to add some extra acidity and flavor to the orzo.)
Helpful Tips
When the baking sheet is really hot, the food will start to sizzle as soon as it hits the baking sheet. It speeds up the cooking process and helps the ingredients get better browning. It’s kind of like heating up a skillet first before adding your ingredients to it.
The more space for all the ingredients to spread out, the faster they will cook, and the more hot air will be able to circulate around them. Less steaming and more searing. The vegetables will get more roasted and get more color on them.
Instead of orzo, you can use any other pasta, such as ditalini, another small shaped pasta, or any other shape that you like.
Gluten free pasta options will work for this recipe too.
You can also use rice instead of pasta. Cook the rice and then just add the roasted veggies at the end. Recipe for long grain white rice. Recipe for brown rice.
This is such a versatile recipe. Here are some other options: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, brussels sprouts, corn, green beans, mushrooms, etc.
This recipe reheats really well, so it's perfect to use as a lunch option the next day or reheat the leftovers for dinner. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Serve With:
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp Kabobs
- Breaded Chicken Tenders
- Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Breast
Orzo With Roasted Veggies
Orzo with roasted vegetables is a side dish that is so easy to prepare, packed with flavor and beautiful too. It's great to meal prep and enjoy for several meals since it reheats well.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Sides
Ingredients
- 1 lb orzo
- 2 bell peppers
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 large zucchini
- 1 onion
- 4-6 garlic cloves
- salt, ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1-2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (or other fresh herbs)
- optional, lemon juice
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water to cook the orzo on the stove. This way, the water will come to a boil while you're prepping the vegetables. If your water takes longer to boil than 10-15 minutes, put it on the stove earlier.
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line an extra large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat up while the oven is preheating.
- Seed the peppers and tomatoes and chop into ½ inch cubes. Chop the zucchini into ½ - ¾ inch cubes. Coarsely chop the onion and press the garlic through a garlic press or mince with a knife. Place all the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet and toss with the oil, salt, and pepper. Toss it all together to season evenly.
- Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven, on the hot baking sheet, for 2o-25 minutes. Broil for the last 5 minutes or so, just to get some extra color and a bit of char on the veggies.
- When the vegetables are halfway cooked, the water should have boiled, cook the orzo according to package instructions. Drain.
- Toss the orzo with the roasted vegetables and the minced parsley. If you want, you can add a bit more olive oil and also some fresh lemon juice to add a little acidity to the orzo.
- Serve hot. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, for 3-5 days.
Love this recipe!! So good and not heavy! I made this for my friends when they came for a visit. They loved it and asked for the recipe!
Such a good and easy recipe. I think the veggies would also be great with quinoa.
YUM! this was so easy to prepare and so healthy and delicious!! Thanks Olga
Isn't it easy? I love simple recipes too.
THIS IS SOOO GOOD!! I AM ADDICTED TO EAT!! (seriously) Thanks.. ** I also added shrimp
Yum! Shrimp would be perfect. Thanks for sharing, Erica:).
Hi Olga!
I made this before and really, really liked it. That time, I made it and we ate it right away. This time, I want to make it in the morning but for an afternoon meal.. do you think if I put it into the oven at 400 for like 10-20min it would re-heat okay? Thanks so much!
You can heat it up in the oven, but you can also heat it up in a skillet with just a small amount of butter or oil, Julia.
So I made this recipe today but I didn't have orzo. I substituted orzo for rice and it turned out amazing! thanks for the recipe!
Great substitution, Sveta. Cooking is all about making it fit your family, your tastebuds and wants in your pantry at the moment:).
Olga, do you think i can chop the peppers and zucchini today if i plan to make it tomorrow, to save some time? Or will the zucchini brown?
I've never chopped zucchini the night before preparing it, so I'm not sure, Luba. I k now you can chop the peppers ahead of time. Let me know what you find out.
Hey I made this today it was so good much better than I thought it would be. I also added shrimp and my hubby loved it.
That's great Marinka! Thanks for letting me know. What a great idea to serve it with shrimp.
I made this like literally the day after you put up the post and loved it. It was an excellent and easy dish. I sauteed some shrimp and tossed them in the mix with the orzo to add protein. Yum yum yum, thank you for a great recipe!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it, Alla. Thanks for letting me know.
i looove orzo, and cant wait to try this!
Made this for dinner today. It turned out really good. Love the roasted veggies. This is a healthy way of dressing your pasta.
I made this few days ago. Turns out I'm not a big fan of orzo. We loved the roasted vegetables, even my 10 month old was chomping down the zucchini. I think the vegetables will make for a perfect side dish with another meal.
yum, looks delicious.