Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables is packed with texture and flavor. Like my Creamy Mushroom Orzo and Creamy One Pot Pasta with Tomato and Mascarpone Sauce, this delicious and easy orzo pasta recipe makes fabulous leftovers! It can be shared warm or as a chilled salad. It’s a Vanilla And Bean community favorite!
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Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
With spring in bloom, so are our favorite fruits and veggies. I took a drive out to one of the farms yesterday, not only because I’m anxious to get my hands on fresh strawberries but also, the freshest asparagus I can find for this recipe.
If the asparagus stalks seem too woody, I use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skin of the stalk. I find, though, the freshest asparagus is pretty tender, so very little of the stem needs to be trimmed.
To keep asparagus fresh, I store it with the base of the stems wrapped in a damp paper towel and try to enjoy them within 48 hours of purchasing.
What Else to Pick-up at the Market
Aside from fresh asparagus, stock up on cremini mushrooms, a mix of orange, yellow or red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, shallots, and fresh herbs and you are ready for this recipe. Zucchini and or eggplant can be substituted for the asparagus when in season.
For a boost of flavor, a drizzle of pesto is delicious with this recipe!
At a Glance: How to Make Lemon Orzo and Roasted Vegetables
This orzo pasta recipe is a family favorite and comes together quick after the chopping is done.
- First, roast the red or yellow bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus and shallot in olive oil using.
- Next, a separate baking sheet, roast the pine nuts or almonds.
- While the veggies are roasting and pine nuts are toasting (hehe), cook the orzo in a large skillet.
- Finally, whip up the lemony dressing.
Combine everything together, sprinkle with a bit of feta cheese or parmesan cheese and share!
What to Serve with this Veggie Orzo Recipe
Simplicity is key. To keep this orzo pasta recipe vegetarian, all it needs is a good loaf of Sourdough Bread, a salad like my Vegetarian Kale Caesar Salad and a bottle of your favorite wine.
A dollop or drizzle of pesto is delicious with this dish. Try Spinach Basil Pesto, or Lemon Basil Pesto for a simple boost of flavor and color!
Traci’s Tips
- Regarding roasting, see recipe notes notes on oven temperatures and roasting times. Also, consider your taste when it comes to roasted veggies. More charring (this is what I like) = more time in the oven. Less charring and tender crisp = less time in the oven. Roast to your taste!
- Dairy Free? Yes Please! This orzo recipe is easily made vegan by omitting the feta.
- For an Orzo Pasta Salad, share this recipe chilled by placing in a lidded container and chill for at least one hour before sharing.
Makers Notes
Thank you all so much for sharing and tagging your 100s of mouthwatering pictures and tips on this recipe on Pinterest, Instagram and in the comments below! I love seeing and hearing your results! Here are some of your notes:
- Barbara said: “I’m not a zucchini fan, so I used eggplant.”
- Laurel said: “We add a can of white beans to protein it up a bit” Be sure to drain the beans prior to adding to the recipe.
- Vanessa said: “I doubled everything and had it for lunch for the week!” and “I threw a couple of big handfuls of spinach on the roasting vegetables for the last 5 min.”
- Joy said: “I used zucchini instead of asparagus & penne pasta instead of orzo.”
- Victoria said: “Used sun dried tomatoes in replace of olives as suggested. Absolutely delicious!”
- Katrina said: “I just used eggplant instead of asparagus and slivered almonds instead of pine nuts.”
Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
For the Orzo and Veggies:
- 1/3 C (64g) Pine Nuts* (see note)
- 1 1/2 C (116g) Crimini Mushrooms, destemmed and sliced
- 1 C (126g) Mix of Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell Peppers, deseeded and diced (I used baby bells here, but you'll need about 1 whole bell pepper if using the larger variety)
- 1 lb (425g) Asparagus (sub zucchini or eggplant when in season!), cut into 1" pieces with woody ends discarded
- 12 oz (340g) Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in 1/2
- 2 tsp Garlic, minced
- 1/2 C (116g) Shallot, chopped
- 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, Ground
- 1 C (200g) Orzo
- 1 1/2 C (355g) Vegetable Broth
- 1/2 C (84g) Garlic and Herb Feta, crumbled - or plain vegan feta
For the Dressing:
- 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tbs Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, ground
For the Garnish:
- 2-3 Tbs Chopped Fresh Basil
- 2-3 Tbs Chopped Fresh Parsley
Instructions
Toast the Pine Nuts:
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and toast pine nuts for 6-7 minutes, or until toasty and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Roast the Veggies:
- Turn oven up to 425F (218C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Place the mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, garlic and shallot on one pan. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs of olive oil. Using a spatula, mix all the veggies together with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then stir again. Move 1/2 the veggie mixture to the other sheet pan. Spread the veggies in one layer, making sure there's no overlapping on both pans. Roast in a 425F oven for 35-40 minutes (due to oven variations, keep an eye on your veggies and start checking your veggies at 25 minutes; a bit of charring is good!** see notes!). Rotate pans 1/2 way through roasting.
Cook the Orzo:
- In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tbs of Olive Oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add the orzo and stir, coating the orzo thoroughly. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes or until the orzo is toasty and golden. Add the vegetable broth. Be careful here because the broth will spit and sputter. Bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
Make the Dressing:
- In a small bowl add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk until all the ingredients are emulsified.
Putting it all Together:
- In the large saute pan, to the orzo, add the roasted veggies and all their juices, stir in the dressing, feta, and pine nuts. Garnish generously with basil and parsley. Serve immediately.
To Store:
- Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Enjoy chilled or gently rewarmed. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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This is my favorite go-to recipe. It is perfect!
Love hearing this Sara! Thank you for your note!
Love this easy recipe- I used Bousin garlic & herb cheese instead of feta w herbs and it is delicious! Used almond vs pine nuts (allergy to pine nuts)
Can I ask what about this makes it not freezer-friendly? I am giving my non-cooking, vegetarian, and super picky brother a bunch of prepared meals to stock his freezer as a Christmas gift, and I think he would love this.
Thanks!
Hi Christie! This dish is freezable, of course, but I didn’t care for the texture of the veggies after freezing and reheating this recipe, so I don’t recommend it. This may just come down to preference, however.
Got it. That makes sense. Wow! Thanks for the quick response.
Great recipe! Made some substitutions for my family w/ food sensitivities:
1 1/2 cup of White mushrooms
1 green zucchini + 1 yellow squash (sub for 1lb asparagus)
12 oz of medley small tomatoes (sub for red cherry tomatoes)
2 tsp of jar minced garlic
1.5 cups Arborio rice (sub for orzo or gf orzo)
~2.5 Cups of veggie broth
Did not add salt or pepper (for any step)
Wegman’s “Mediterranean herb” crumble feta cheese (cheese had loads of salt in it already)
Oil+lemon juice mix
This was so refreshing and delicious! The roasted pine nuts added a great crunch! My Parent who has celiac plus other food sensitivities loved the flavors and taste! I will keep this recipe and do it again (next maybe with gluten free (gf) orzo pasta) :)
This is such a great recipe ❤️ the flavours are incredible!
Yay! SO happy to read your note, Deb! Thank you for your star rating and giving the orzo a go!
Absolutely delicious! Thought I’d have leftovers, but we just about ate it all in one night!!
I completely understand! Thank you for your note, Linda!
Opps. Forgot to rate it.
Thank you, Sally!
Yummm! It apparently made 4 servings but my husband and I ate it all last night! Absolutely delicious. I couldn’t find garlic and herb feta so used Alouette spreadable cheese with garlic and herb. Put lots of little blobs of it in the orzo, mixed it around and it got melty and creamier. So good. Thank you!
I usually substitute pecans for pine nuts in most pestos, except when using walnuts for a different texture.
Always tasty results and less expensive.
Your thoughts on sautéing the veggies instead? I realize there would be a different flavor profile, but I’d much prefer to sauté and keep an eye on them.
Hi Mary! Yes, you can saute’… this way too, you can adjust timing to taste, whether tender crisp or cooked to a softer consistency. You’ll most likely need to batch saute since there’s so many veggies. Let us know how it goes, okay?