Best Orzo Tomato And Zucchini Toss Recipes

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ONE-POT ORZO WITH TOMATOES, CORN AND ZUCCHINI



One-Pot Orzo With Tomatoes, Corn and Zucchini image

This recipe is inspired by the tail end of summer, when fresh produce and herbs abound but the heat waves are finally starting to relent. And while this dish makes a wonderful stage for the season's produce at its peak, it can also turn sad-looking February vegetables into a sauce that makes it feel like summer. The trick is to sauté the tomatoes slowly, until they've collapsed and become deeply sweet and fragrant. The orzo cooks right in the sauce, which cuts down on the dishes and allows the pasta to absorb the flavor as it cooks. If you prefer a larger pasta shape, stick to the traditional method of boiling pasta for best results, and save some pasta water to help loosen the sauce. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.

Provided by Lidey Heuck

Categories     pastas

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 Vidalia or yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Black pepper, to taste
1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), halved lengthwise, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/4 cups orzo
Kernels from one ear of corn (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup torn or medium-diced fresh mozzarella (about 5 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Steps:

  • Heat olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet, for which you have a lid, set over medium. And the onions, lightly season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the zucchini and garlic, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often.
  • Add the tomatoes, basil, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have completely collapsed, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the orzo, corn, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, mix well, and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan 3 or 4 times, until the pasta is cooked. The pasta should look "saucy" as it cooks; if at any point it looks dry, add another 1/4 cup water.
  • Off the heat, add the mozzarella and Parmesan and stir gently until just combined. Top with fresh basil and more red-pepper flakes if desired, and serve hot.

CHICKEN ORZO DINNER WITH CHEESY ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES RECIPE



Chicken Orzo Dinner with Cheesy Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes Recipe image

Provided by JoycePelletier

Number Of Ingredients 30

12 ounce
Chicken Breast
0.25 cup
Parmesan Cheese
(ContainsMilk)
1 unit
Roma Tomato
0.25 cup
Panko
(ContainsWheat)
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
4 ounce
Fresh Mozzarella
(ContainsMilk)
1 unit
Zucchini
1 unit
Lemon
3 ounce
Orzo
(ContainsWheat)
4 teaspoon
Olive Oil*
unit
Salt*
unit
Pepper*
0.25 ounce
Parsley

Steps:

  • 1 Wash and dry all produce. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Slice zucchini into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Cut tomato into wedges. Toss zucchini and tomato with 1 TBSP olive oil and half the Italian seasoning on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. 2 Roast veggies until just shy of tender, about 10 minutes (we'll be adding more items to the sheet later). Once water is boiling, add half the orzo to pot (save the rest for another use). Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Drain, then return to pot. 3 With your hand on top of one chicken breast, cut ¾ of the way, parallel to cutting board, stopping before you slice through completely. Open it up and season all over with salt, pepper, and remaining Italian seasoning. Repeat with other chicken breast. 4 Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink in center, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Meanwhile, chop mozzarella into ½-inch cubes. Halve lemon. Roughly chop parsley 5 Once veggies have roasted 10 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven. Heat broiler to high or increase oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle veggies with panko, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Broil (or bake) until panko is golden brown, cheese is melted, and veggies are tender, 3-5 minutes. 6 Add juice from one lemon half and half the parsley to pot with orzo and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide orzo between plates. Top with veggies and chicken. Drizzle with any chicken juices from plate and a squeeze of remaining lemon half. Garnish with remaining parsley.

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