ORZO PRIMAVERA

Orzo Primavera image

Fresh, al dente vegetables and orzo with a creamy tomato and Parmesan sauce makes a fantastic side dish. This primavera is a good base recipe that you can tweak with other seasonal vegetables, or freshen up with fresh lemon juice or white wine.

Provided by preez

Categories Side Dish

Time 45m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 ⅓ cups uncooked orzo pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, cut into thin slices
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium yellow squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons half-and-half
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil; add 2 teaspoons salt. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 6 to 11 minutes. Drain.
Heat oil in a skillet over low heat. Add bell pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add carrot, onion, and garlic. Saute until carrot begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add zucchini and summer squash; cook for 1 minute more. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomato sauce, remaining salt, and pepper. Cook until sauce comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Add orzo to the sauce and mix well. Remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half, followed by Parmesan cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 253.2 calories, Carbohydrate 41.3 g, Cholesterol 8.2 mg, Fat 5.7 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 10.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.1 g, Sodium 1602.7 mg, Sugar 5.4 g