PESTO ORZO WITH ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Pesto Orzo with Roasted Zucchini image

I made up this recipe after finding out the health benefits of orzo. This is really tasty and light at the same time, a great dinner dish that will leave you asking for more--thankfully, it tastes even better for lunch the next day!

Provided by Maristela

Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Pesto Pasta Recipes

Time 45m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pinch garlic powder, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 cube vegetable bouillon
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
½ cup pesto sauce
8 cherry tomatoes, halved, or more to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place zucchini in a bowl and season with 2 tablespoons oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until all slices are moistened. Spread on a large baking sheet.
Roast zucchini in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip the slices and continue roasting until tender and browned, about 10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and vegetable bouillon; cook until orzo is tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and cook onion until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in pesto sauce. Cut zucchini rounds into 4 pieces and add to the frying pan. Add cooked orzo, stirring until it absorbs the pesto sauce. Add cherry tomatoes last; stir for about 30 seconds. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 535.6 calories, Carbohydrate 47.9 g, Cholesterol 12.2 mg, Fat 32.8 g, Fiber 4.6 g, Protein 15.3 g, SaturatedFat 6.9 g, Sodium 334.6 mg, Sugar 5.6 g