30 Minute Brown Butter Goat Cheese Grilled Veggie Orzo

Prep time:15 min

Cook time:15 min

Total time:30 min

Serves: 4

A savory summer dish you’re going to LOVE: this 30 minute grilled vegetable orzo is filled with flavor from sweet & grilled vegetables, tangy goat cheese and warm toasty, nutty brown butter and garden fresh basil. This easy and flavorful veggie orzo recipe is the perfect way to use up fresh summer produce! Enjoy as-is or with your favorite proteins for a wonderful weeknight dinner or lunch.

This is the perfect side or meal to bring to your next pool day or BBQ!

Chickpeas are an excellent source of iron, folate, phosphorus, protein, and dietary fiber. Their soluble fiber helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels as well as energy levels. They are great for promoting heart health. Their abundance of dietary fiber and folic acid helps lower blood concentrations of homocysteine, a compound known to damage artery walls. They are also full of a plant sterol called sitosterol, which mimics cholesterol in the body and with the high dietary fiber can help to naturally lower cholesterol levels. The magnesium they contain improves the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body. They also contain vitamin B1, which converts sugar into usable energy and phosphorus, a component of ATP! ATP is the fuel molecule that powers your body’s cells.

According to TCM nutrition, Chickpeas are neutral in temperature and sweet in flavor. They nourish the Spleen, Stomach, and Heart qi. In general, beans are drying and work well as a diuretic to flush out excess fluids from the body.

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INGREDIENTS

For the grilled veggies:

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

• 1 medium red bell pepper, halved or cut into ½” thick strips

• 1 medium orange bell pepper, halved or cut into ½” thick strips

• 1 sweet yellow onion, peeled and quartered (or cut into thick slices)

• 1 medium zucchini, cut into ½” thick rounds or strips

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• Freshly ground salt and pepper

For the pasta:

• 8 oz orzo pasta (1 cup dried orzo)

• ⅓ cup reserved pasta water

• ¼ cup salted butter

• ½ cup goat cheese crumbles

• 1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 8-10 large basil leaves, julienned (about 1/3 cup packed basil)

• Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First grill your veggies: preheat grill to 400 degrees. Place veggies in a large bowl, then drizzle them with olive oil, garlic powder and season with salt and pepper.

2. GRILL BASKET OPTION: Grill veggies in a grill basket for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender and slightly charred; be sure to toss them halfway through cooking. Once the veggies are done cooking and have cooled a bit, you can chop them up to your liking. I like to chop the bell peppers, slice the onions and quarter the zucchini slices.

3. FOIL OPTION FOR GRILLING: Place chopped veggies onto a large piece of foil, then add another large piece of foil on top. Seal the edges by folding a piece of foil together. Use a fork or knife to poke a hole at the top of the foil to allow some steam to escape. Place over direct heat on the preheated grill and grill for approximately 10-15 minutes or until veggies are just fork tender.

4. While your veggies are grilling you can make your brown butter: add butter to a large saucepan or skillet and place over medium heat. The butter will begin to melt, crackle, and then eventually foam. Make sure you stir constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan, this usually happens right when it foams. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool a bit (keeping butter in the pan but removing pan from heat) while you cook your pasta.

5. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.

6. Once pasta is done cooking, reserve 1/3 cup pasta water and set aside, then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the brown butter. Give it a nice stir to coat all the pasta with the brown butter, then immediately add in the goat cheese and reserved pasta water; stir until nice and creamy and the goat cheese has melted. Finally, add in all of the chopped grilled veggies & chickpeas, and generously season with salt and pepper to taste (I like a lot of black pepper!). Finally fold in the fresh julienned basil. Serve immediately. This pasta is excellent served warm or cold.

NOTES

If you don’t want to grill your veggies, or don’t have a grill: roast the veggies with olive oil on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. To reheat simply do so in a microwave safe dish with a splash of milk or water. You can also reheat on the stovetop with a splash of milk/water.

photo and recipe credits to Ambitious Kitchen