Pesto Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
There’s a real taste of the Mediterranean in this pesto orzo with roasted vegetables, which makes for a great side dish. It combines oven-roasted eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers with orzo, pesto, and lemon for a hearty dish with a rich, earthy, and zesty flavor.
Pair it with chicken, salmon, or grilled halloumi for a hearty dinner. Or you can have this as a vegetarian main for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this pesto orzo with roasted vegetables, you’ll first need the following (for 4-6 servings):
- Orzo (Risoni) – 1 1/2 cup (300 grams) orzo pasta (also known as risoni)
- Pesto – 1/2 cup basil pesto
- Eggplant – 1 large eggplant
- Zucchini – 2 medium-sized zucchini
- Bell Peppers – 2 bell peppers (orange, red, or yellow)
- Lemon – 1 lemon (zest from the lemon and 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice)
- Salt – salt, to taste
- Pepper – ground black pepper, to taste
- Olive Oil – 2 tbsp olive oil (or your favorite oil for roasting the vegetables)
Notes:
- Servings: If serving this alongside chicken, salmon, halloumi, or another protein, it would make about 6+ servings. If serving it as a main, it’s about 4 servings.
- Pesto: It’s easy to make pesto at home. You can use this recipe for pesto, which makes about a cup of fresh basil pesto. You can halve the ingredients in the pesto recipe if you want to make just enough for this recipe, or you can make a cup and then refrigerate the remaining pesto to use in other recipes. You can use pine nuts in the pesto or substitute the pine nuts with walnuts, pecans, or almonds, as they all pair well with this orzo and roasted vegetables.
How to Make it (with Photos)
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Step 2. Prep the veggies for roasting.
Chop the veggies: Wash and pat dry the eggplant, zucchini, and eggplant. First, slice the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut them into medium-sized pieces. Cut the eggplant in half and then into half-inch slices. Cut any big pieces in half again. Cut the zucchini in half and then into half-inch slices.
Toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the veggies with 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper (about 1/2 tsp kosher salt or flaky sea salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper). Place them on a roasting tray (lined with parchment paper/baking paper for easier cleanup).
Step 3. Roast the vegetables. Place the roasting tray with the veggies on the middle rack and roast the veggies at 425°F (220°C) until tender on the inside and a little charred on the outside (about 30-35 minutes).
Step 3. Cook the orzo pasta.
Method 1: No draining required. Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a pot. Add the orzo and a pinch of salt and simmer until it’s cooked and all the water is absorbed (about 8-10 minutes). Stir from time to time to make sure the orzo pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom. This method makes for a creamier result but you have to be careful so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Method 2: Draning required. Bring a pot with at least 5 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp salt and the orzo. Stir occasionally. Boil it until it’s tender (about 8 minutes) and then drain the excess water. This method is easier but you lose some of the starch.
Step 4. Add the pesto. Take the orzo off the heat and add the pesto to the orzo and stir so that it gets absorbed.
Step 5. Add half the roasted vegetables, lemon, and seasoning. Stir in lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and half the roasted vegetables (folding them into the orzo pasta gently so they keep their shape). Taste and add salt and pepper to your preference.
Step 6. Plate up the orzo and add the remaining vegetables. Top the pesto orzo with the remaining roasted vegetables in the middle.
I prefer to bring this dish to the table with a serving spoon and let everyone help themselves but you can also plate it up in individual portions.
More Recipe Inspiration
If you’re looking for more side dish options, some of my favorites with a similar flavor profile include this roasted veggie salad, this lemon basil parmesan pasta, or these new potatoes with lemon garlic butter and fresh basil.
For more recipes with pesto, try this fresh basil pesto pasta, this roasted broccoli pasta with walnut pesto, or this one-pan salmon and orzo with pesto and mushrooms.
I hope you enjoy this tasty side. If so, let me know in a review below, and let me know in the comments what you served it with.
All-in-One Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup orzo pasta also known as risoni, 300 grams/10.5 oz
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 1 eggplant large
- 2 zucchini medium-sized
- 2 bell peppers orange, red, or yellow
- 1 lemon zest from the lemon and 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil or your favorite oil for roasting the vegetables
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Prep the veggies for roasting. Chop the veggies: Wash and pat dry the eggplant, zucchini, and eggplant. First, slice the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut them into medium-sized pieces. Cut the eggplant in half and then into half-inch slices. Cut any big pieces in half again. Cut the zucchini in half and then into half-inch slices.Toss with oil, salt, and pepper: Toss the veggies with 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper (about 1/2 tsp kosher salt or flaky sea salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper). Place them on a roasting tray (lined with parchment paper/baking paper for easier cleanup).
- Roast the vegetables. Place the roasting tray with the veggies on the middle rack and roast the veggies at 425°F (220°C) until tender on the inside and a little charred on the outside (about 30-35 minutes).
- Cook the orzo pasta.Method 1: No draining required: Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a pot. Add the orzo and a pinch of salt and simmer until it’s cooked and all the water is absorbed (about 8-10 minutes). Stir from time to time to make sure the orzo pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom. This method makes for a creamier result but you have to be careful so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.Method 2: Draning required: Bring a pot with at least 5 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp salt and the orzo. Stir occasionally. Boil it until it’s tender (about 8 minutes) and then drain the excess water. This method is easier, but you lose some of the starch and creaminess.
- Add the pesto. Take the orzo off the heat and add the pesto to the orzo and stir so that it gets absorbed.
- Add half the roasted vegetables, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, and salt & pepper. Stir in lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and half the roasted vegetables (folding them into the orzo pasta gently so they keep their shape). Taste and add salt and pepper to your preference.
- Plate up the orzo and add the remaining vegetables. Top the pesto orzo with the remaining roasted vegetables in the middle.
Don’t forget to save this dish to one of your side dish or dinner inspiration boards.
