This vegan (yes, vegan!) dish is rich and full of flavour. The key to this recipe is in the way the orzo is cooked and in the roasted garlic paste which combined give the dish a creamy texture. Everything else including the types of veggies you use and the way you cook them can be modified.
I have roasted the veggies in the oven (tossed with some olive oil and cooked in a 400 degree oven), on the barbecue and even sautéed on the stove top (if you use the stove top, cube the veggies before cooking). All work great! I usually prefer grilling the vegetables on the barbecue for maximum flavour however this may make your dish look a little “messy” because of the charring.
I love pairing this recipe with baked tilapia with a browned butter sage sauce.
The recipe for the roasted garlic is on the blog and can be found here.
- 2 medium-sized zucchinis, cut into ½ inch thick slices on a bias
- 2 carrots, cut into ¼ inch thick slices on a bias
- 1 large red onion, cut into ½ inch slices
- 3 or 4 large roasted garlic cloves, smashed (roasted garlic recipe is on the blog)
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 1¼ cups dried orzo
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 to 3 cups vegetable broth (you can also use chicken broth)
- Couple of handfuls of baby spinach
- Cut the vegetables and coat with about ¼ cup of olive oil. Grill the veggies on the barbecue (or in a 400 degree oven) until they are cooked through. Let the veggies cool slightly and chop into smaller (~1/2 inch) cubes.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a pot. Add the orzo and toast for a couple of minutes stirring constantly and coating each grain of pasta with oil. Add the wine and cook it down. Add the broth and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and cook stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked and broth is mostly evaporated (start with ~2 cups and add more as needed). Make sure to stir often and to leave some moisture.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a small bowl mash the roasted garlic with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to make a paste and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the garlic paste and a couple of handfuls of baby spinach to the hot pasta and mix well and allow the spinach to wilt. Add the grilled veggies and mix to combine. Serve warm.
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