I am always on the hunt for a new healthy meal and this Barefoot Contessa recipe was a winner! You can check out the original recipe online here and my version below has a few tweaks to fit my family’s preferences. Hope you enjoy it!
Roasted Vegetables
*The original recipe called for eggplant, but I substituted asparagus. You could use any vegetable you enjoy roasted into this salad.
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1 lb of asparagus, trimmed and cut into ¾ inch pieces -
1 green pepper, diced
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1 red pepper, diced
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1 red onion, diced
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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1/3 cup olive oil
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1 1/2 t salt
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1/2 t pepper
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1/2 pound orzo
Dressing
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1/3 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
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1/3 cup olive oil
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1 t salt
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1/2 t pepper
Additional Ingredients
* I used fresh mozzarella, instead of feta, and added grilled shrimp. Steak, chicken, or another protein would be delicious too!
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4 scallions, minced
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1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
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3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
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7-8 fresh basil leaves, cut into long, thin strips
- Grilled shrimp
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
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Toss the asparagus, peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet.
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Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once.
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Cook the orzo in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
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Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
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For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables.
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Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pine nuts, mozzarella, and basil.
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Check the seasonings and top with shrimp.
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Serve at room temperature.
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