Monday, April 25, 2011

Ina's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables - My Grilled Veggie Version!


Growing up, vegetables were not really high on my list of favorite foods.  My mom would make dad stuffed bell peppers frequently and I would always turn up my nose with a resounding "EEEwwww!", sort of like my kids do now.  However, last year I stuffed my own Poblanos and loved it.  I've also been grilling zucchini and asparagus and I actually find myself craving arugula and spinach salads.  Ina's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, which I tweaked using my own veggie favorites and turning to my trusty grill, became a favorite after the first try.

Filling the salad with grilled zucchini, onions, and asparagus has me even making extra veggies so that I can nibble as I put the salad together.  A few sprigs of basil from my garden, a zesty dressing with lemon and oil and a handful of crumbled feta complete the salad while my mouth waters in anticipation.

Serving the salad along with our grilled fillets yesterday, my Mother in Law literally skipped dessert in favor of two extra salad helpings!  If that isn't a testament to its wholesome goodness I'm not sure what is.

An ideal salad for spring and summer with versatility being key.  Out of zucchini?  How about eggplant instead?  Have a few roasted red peppers on hand?  Toss 'em in!  Cherry tomatoes make a nice addition when those little red fruits overload your summer garden and any sort of summer squash fits nicely with that lovely lemon dressing.



Orzo with Grilled Vegetables

6 summer squash combo, slice length-wise into 1/4 inch strips (I frequently use zucchini and yellow squash)
1 bunch asparagus, cleaned
1 red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
olive oil (I used a garlic/herb infused oil)
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

Dressing
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
crumbled or diced feta
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Heat grill to a medium/medium high temp.  Rub veggies with oil.  When grill is hot lay veggies directly onto grill grates and turn heat down to medium-low.  Turning once or twice grill veggies until tender.  Remove from grill and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large serving bowl. Allow to cool.  Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables.  Add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature or chilled.

26 comments:

  1. What a great interpretation of an Ina recipe! If you have time, I'd love to see you submit future Ina recipes to the new cooking group, "Ina's Garden"! This dish looks so delicious!

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  2. Looks great! I like having orzo, couscous and rice on-hand at all times so I can make recipes just like this one. So versatile and easy to create something healthy and delicious! I love grilled zucchini.

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  3. I love orzo and roasted veggie salad. My goodness Kim you roasted those veggies perfectly. If my husband drops out, you are in for sure. There was an argument between him and my Sister on Easter over who should go, I should warn you. He He
    -Gina-

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  4. I've been wondering what the heck I could do with the leftover orzo I have from the stuffed peppers (EWWWWW!) I made a while back. Now I know! Great recipe, thanks so much for sharing :)

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  5. The pictures are great! Love your blog! Came across it on foodbuzz & am a new follower!
    - Jessica @ http://cajunlicious.com

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  6. Kim, that looks both flavorful and healthy!

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  7. There is nothing better than roasted veggies! I've only had orzo a couple times, this looks like a great way to try it again!

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  8. Mmm I make a similar salad but with lettuce. I don't know why I never thought to put it with pasta. I love Orzo too! So fresh and yummy!

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  9. I love the grill marks on your vegetables, and I am not sure why we don't grill are vegetables more often since we BBQ year-round. I just love your idea of grilling the vegetables for this dish, and it gives it such a pretty presentation. I guess I was one of those unusual children who actually liked all vegetables. Even now I am hard-pressed to think of one I don't like, so I have no excuse not to try this soon.

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  10. Gorgeous veggies...it's been way too long since I've made this salad, but now I will again soon with some of your delicious tweaks!

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  11. I love this! its nice and fresh and light! Your grilled veggies look perfect!LOVE INA!

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  12. I love grilled veggies and have been wanting to try out orzo, so I'm definitely drawn to this recipe.

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  13. Love grilled veggies! Just made grilled green beans the other night, so good! My favorite salad is warm grilled eggplant, squash, red peppers, shallots, and mushrooms with a balsamic and feta dressing tossed with chicken - so awesome! I will have to try this recipe out soon!

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  14. looks absolutely fantastic. lovely shots

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  15. I love grilled veggies! These look so good :)

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  16. I love orzo and grilled vegetables, but never had them together. I love how pretty your grilled onions came out. Mine always fall apart and look like they've been through hell.

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  17. Yummy. Love all those grilled vegetables. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the gorgeous pictures.

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  18. Ooohh delicious and healthy salad! I love how you used grilled veggies. It has smokey taste to it and it adds good dimension to the salad. I like the lemony dressing too. This is fanstastic salad - thank you for sharing!

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  19. I literally love everything about this. So many delicious grilled veggies, paired with feta and pine nuts.... what's not to love??

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  20. I love orzo and grilled veggies..and Ina so this is a no fail for me! Delish :D

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  21. That looks so amazing Kim! I didn't really like veggies until I got older either. I always curled my nose up unless it was carrots haha. All your veggies are simply gorgeous, I can't wait until the summer when it is grilled veggie time again! Grilled onions is how I learned to eat onions too, I still can't do raw though blech ;-)

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  22. Beautiful grilled veggies. Excellent dish.

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  23. Beautiful grilled salad with all of those veggies with the orzo. We grill a lot of veggies, and my husband the Grill Master, gives you a "thumbs up" on the grill marks.

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  24. Love, love this salad (and Ina, too, of course!). Looks so delicious. This will definitely be a perfect side dish for those summer bbq's.

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  25. What a beautiful salad! I can't wait to try it!

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