Ina Garten Roasted Vegetable Orzo Recipe

Ina Garten Roasted Vegetable Orzo Recipe is a Mediterranean vegetarian main. This dish uses roasted aubergine, courgettes, and peppers tossed with salty feta and fresh basil for a vibrant, healthy meal.

I’ve tried a few versions of pasta salad and this one from Ina Garten is the one I keep going back to because roasting the vegetables at a high heat changes everything. Instead of boiling them, you’re intensifying their natural sugars until they get those charred, brown edges. If you skip the roasting time and undercook the aubergine, it stays spongy rather than melting into the pasta.

The lemon dressing gives the dish a lovely hit of citrus. It needs that sharp acidity to cut through the olive oil and the creamy feta cheese. I first made this for a summer garden party and now it’s my favourite thing to bring to a potluck because it holds up so well. It is a solid vegetarian main that stays fresh for days.

Ina Garten Roasted Vegetable Orzo Recipe Ingredients

• 1 small aubergine, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 courgette, diced
• 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil, for roasting
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 225g (8 oz) orzo pasta
• 60ml (4 tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 120ml (4 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil, for dressing
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 30g (1/4 cup) pine nuts, toasted
• 200g (7 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
• 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

How To Make Ina Garten Roasted Vegetable Orzo Recipe

1. Roast the vegetables: Set the oven rack to the middle and preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas Mark 7). Toss the diced aubergine, red and yellow peppers, red onion, and courgette on a large baking tin with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt, and black pepper. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 40 minutes, turning them once halfway through with a spatula until they are tender and have dark brown charred edges.
2. Cook the orzo: Fill a large saucepan with water, add a handful of salt, and bring it to a rolling boil while the vegetables are in the oven. Add the orzo pasta to the boiling water and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the grains are cooked but still have a firm bite in the centre. Drain the pasta thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve and move it to a large mixing bowl while the grains are still steaming to prevent them from sticking together.
3. Prepare the dressing: Whisk together the lemon juice, 120ml of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper in a small glass jar or bowl. Shake or stir the liquid vigorously for about 30 seconds until the oil and citrus juice are fully combined and the salt has completely dissolved into the dressing. You can do this step ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
4. Combine ingredients: Tip the hot roasted vegetables into the bowl with the cooked orzo, making sure to scrape all the flavoured oil and juice from the baking tin. Add the sliced spring onions, toasted pine nuts, crumbled feta, and the fresh basil strips to the mixture. Use a large metal spoon to move the ingredients around from the bottom of the bowl until the vegetables and cheese are spread evenly through the pasta.
5. Dress and serve: Pour the lemon dressing over the bowl and toss everything together again until every grain of pasta has a glossy coating. Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the orzo to soak up the sharp lemon and savoury vegetable flavours. You can serve the dish immediately while it is still warm, or move it to the fridge to serve as a chilled salad later.

Recipe Tips

Toast the nuts. Put the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2 minutes until they turn golden and smell fragrant. Watch them constantly as they can burn in seconds.

Don’t overcook orzo. Boil the pasta for exactly the time on the packet so it stays firm. Soft, mushy orzo will break apart when you toss it with the heavy roasted vegetables.

Keep the skins. Do not peel the aubergine or courgette before dicing. The skins hold the vegetable cubes together during the high-heat roasting and provide a nice colour contrast in the bowl.

Scale the salt. Feta is naturally salty, so taste the pasta before adding the final seasoning. You might find you need less salt in the dressing than the recipe suggests.

Wait for the basil. Only stir in the fresh basil leaves just before serving to keep them from turning black. The heat from the roasted vegetables can wilt the herbs if they sit for too long.

Make it ahead. This salad is better after 2 hours because the pasta absorbs the lemon juice. If it feels dry after sitting, add a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

What To Serve With Roasted Vegetable Orzo

This vibrant pasta salad works brilliantly as a side dish for grilled chicken breasts or a fillet of roasted salmon. The zesty lemon dressing also pairs well with lamb kebabs or a hot pita bread stuffed with creamy hummus.

For a full vegetarian spread, serve it alongside a crisp green salad with plenty of cucumbers and olives. You can also offer it as a light lunch on its own with a few extra roasted chickpeas for crunch.

How To Store Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Fridge

Place the orzo salad in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavour of the roasted aubergine deepens overnight, making it a great option for meal prep.

Reheat

Warm the leftovers in a microwave for 1 minute or eat them cold straight from the fridge. If you choose to reheat it, add a splash of water to loosen the pasta as the starch tends to set when cold.

Freeze

I do not recommend freezing this dish as the texture of the courgettes and aubergine becomes mushy when thawed. The feta cheese also loses its creamy consistency and becomes grainy after being frozen and defrosted.

Ina Garten Roasted Vegetable Orzo Recipe Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 8):

• Calories: 340
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 380mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

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