Growing up in quite the Italian family, there was never a shortage of pasta at our house. From weeknight dinners to special occasions to backyard barbecues, you name it and it was there. While I don’t eat pasta quite as often these days, I do still absolutely love to play around with different flavors and combinations. This broccoli and bell pepper filled baked orzo is cheesy and comforting without being overly heavy, which is my preference this time of the year as the weather gets warmer and warmer.
In a way I feel like I am almost eating the rainbow with this dish. You have red and orange from the colored bell peppers, green from the broccoli and purple from the red onion! Making for one very pretty looking casserole.
While the orzo is cooking in a saucepan until al dente, the vegetables are sautéed with a touch of balsamic vinegar and honey, giving the dish a little something to make it interesting, without being overpowering.
Once cooked, the orzo is added to the skillet, along with a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, which help give the pasta just enough moisture so that it won't dry out while baking. Some shredded mild cheddar cheese is also added into the mix, which pairs wonderfully with the broccoli.
The mixture is then transferred to a baking dish, where it's topped with some mozzarella and then baked until warm and nicely melted. Now, if you have an oven-safe skillet you can use that here, skipping the step of transferring the pasta to a baking dish. And less dishes to wash is always a good thing in my book!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dry orzo pasta
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium orange bell pepper sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped or chiffonade fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 2 to 3 quart baking dish with olive oil spray and set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add in the orzo and cook until al dente according to the package directions, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and honey until combined. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the red onion and cook for about 2 minutes, until it starts to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in the peppers, broccoli, salt, pepper and the balsamic honey mixture. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp tender. Turn off the heat.
- Add the cooked orzo, tomatoes and cheddar cheese to the skillet and stir until well combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle the top with the mozzarella.
- Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted. Garnish with the fresh basil before serving.
marcie says
Orzo is one of my favorite pastas, so I love this veggie-packed baked version. And cheese never, ever hurts! 🙂
Ashley Jennings says
Thanks Marcie! Me too! And I don't use orzo enough in my kitchen!
Joanne says
As fate would have it, I JUST made orzo tonight. And it was okay, but nowhere near as good as this looks. i'm remembering this for the next time I have a bag of it lingering in my pantry!
Ashley Jennings says
Ha! That's too funny! And thank you! 🙂
FDR says
Love this recipe! Made this about 5 times in a double batch so I have leftovers. This dish freezes really well in individual portions.
Ashley Jennings says
So happy to hear it! And thanks for letting us know about freezing - that's great to know!
Liz says
Did you recook this from frozen or thaw and then cook?
Jenny says
This is my new favorite recipe! Thank you so much for creating it! So many veggies and it's absolutely delicious. My fiancé loves it, even though he picks out the tomatoes 😉
Ashley Jennings says
Oh I'm so happy to hear it Jenny! haha that totally made me chuckle!
Leyda says
Hi, Does this meal freeze well? If so, can I have instructions and how long will it be good for in the freezer? thanks
Ashley Jennings says
I haven't ever tried freezing this unfortunately, so I'm not sure how it would do! Sorry!
Davina says
This sounds amazing, however, I do not like balsamic vinegar...is there something else you would recomend to use instead?
Ashley Jennings says
Hey Davina! I would just leave it out 🙂
Amanda says
This came out great! Thank you! I subbed apple cider vinegar for the balsamic, and served it up with a little Italian seasoning and garlic salt on top. It's really a beautiful and fragrant dish!
Ashley Jennings says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it Amanda! Thanks for letting us know!
Lindsay says
This looks delicious! Do you have any suggestions for veggies besides peppers? I'm not a huge fan of peppers and was wondering if you knew if any certain veggies might taste good with this recipe.
Ashley Jennings says
Hey Lindsay - thank you! I think zucchini and yellow squash would also be great here!
megan says
If I wanted to freeze this. Would I cook the orzo to al dente or cook the orzo all the way? Or would I cook it at all? Also if I froze it, would you recommend thawing first or just popping in a 350 degree oven for maybe 30 minutes instead of 15?