Friday, July 6, 2012

Sauteed Vegetable Tuscan Orzo

This light, summery meal is quick, easy and delicious!  You can use whatever veggies you prefer or have on hand.  I got it from Penzey's Spices awesome free magazine.

1 12 oz package orzo (rice-shaped pasta) - about 1 1/2 cups dry
1 to 3 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
1 red onion, chopped (or 2 shallots for milder flavor)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 portabello mushrooms, cubed
1 zucchini squash, cubed
Your favorite Italian spices - basil, oregano, garlic salt,  etc.
12 to 14 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the orzo in boiling, salted water until done, but still firm (about 6 to 8 min).  Drain and set aside in a large bowl or serving dish.  

While the orzo is cooking, heat 2 TB of olive oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the red onion and garlic.  Saute until fragrant (2 -3 minutes).  Add the mushrooms, zucchini and Italian spices, cooking until desired tenderness/brownness is achieved (5 - 8 minutes).  Add the cooked veggies to the orzo.   Add the tomatoes and blend in the cheese, adding another tablespoon of olive oil if needed to keep the pasta from sticking together.  

 Prep time:  5 minutes
Cooking time:  10 minutes

4 comments:

Kay Hinton said...

Sounds like the perfect summer dish. And good timing- I'm just writing my meal plan.

Kristen Mackrory said...

Mmm. I need good summer dishes. Thanks. It will be fun to try.

Kay Hinton said...

I just made this. It is so yummy and almost everything in it was from our garden. We even have cherry tomatoes this year. Both Daddy and I loved it. And it's healthy to boot!

Kay Hinton said...

I made this again tonight (I think I've made it three times since the last comment!- We love it!)as I had the missionaries for dinner. They loved it and wanted the recipe. I just wanted to add to be sure to add garlic salt and more cheese than called for and yellow squash is delicious.