The simple, veggie-packed dish you’ll be making all season long with that fresh summer produce.
Summer Chopped Veggie Orzo with Parmesan
I love a chopped salad, but have you had a chopped orzo dish? Orzo is one of the most underrated pasta out there. I love orzo, because it has a lovely starch element that absorbs all the flavors of the vegetables, herbs, and other ingredients in the dish. Plus, that starchy water can be saved and drizzled on top for a creamy effect, if desired.
What I love most about this dish is that it’s easy to make. Literally, you chop the vegetables, sauté them, stir in cooked orzo, Parmesan, basil, and serve with some more Parmesan and basil.
I love eating this as a vegetarian main, but if you’re protein conscious, you can stir in some cannellini beans. If you’re not a vegetarian, serve this with grilled sausage, canned tuna, shrimp, barbecue chicken – literally, anything!
This dish is light and can be doctored up and served in so many ways. Here are some suggestions once you’ve made this twenty times and want to switch it up:
- Make it Mediterranean-inspired: Swap the basil for dill and Parsley and swap the Parmesan for feta! Stir in some chickpeas and halved grape tomatoes.
- Make it Mexican-inspired: swap the basil for cilantro and the Parmesan for cotija cheese. Stir in some black beans and corn.
- Change up the vegetables seasonally! Is it winter? Swap the string beans & bell peppers for chopped carrots and parsnips.
However you serve this meal, it’s a crowd pleaser and great to bring to summer barbecues, get togethers, and it saves so well as leftovers, so you can enjoy it all weeklong.
Summer Chopped Veggie Orzo with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry orzo
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 3 bell peppers diced (various colors)
- 12 ounces trimmed string beans chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese for grating
- 5 basil leaves
- 1/2 ripe lemon
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- While orzo cooks, heat the oil in a large wide rimmed skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onion and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bell peppers and string beans, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender (to your preference).
- While veggies cook, grate 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and set aside. Chiffonade the basil and set aside.
- Once veggies are cooked, add the cooked orzo, half of the basil, and half of the Parmesan cheese to the skillet, squeeze over the lemon, and season generously with salt. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and toss well to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and top with remaining basil and Parmesan. Serve.