Make Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad for lunch or dinner! Orzo pasta, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, etc. are mixed in Italian dressing.
Preheat oven to 375℉.
Put prepared veggies in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil; toss, until veggies are covered with oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder; gently toss again. Place veggies in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Roast veggies at 375°F. for 20-24 minutes. Halfway through baking time, turn veggies over in the pan; continue roasting, until lightly caramelized on the outside, and tender to the bite. Remove; cool to room temperature, once done.
While vegetables bake, prepare orzo according to package directions. Once done, remove pan from heat. Drain pasta, rinsing with cold water to stop the cooking process. Put well-drained orzo in large serving bowl.
Add cooled, roasted vegetables to the orzo. Stir gently, to combine. Pour Italian salad dressing over veggies/pasta; toss to combine. NOTE: You want salad ingredients to be well coated with Italian dressing, but not floating in it. Try adding about ¼ cup of salad dressing first and toss, then add more salad dressing, adjusting to taste, as needed.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate salad at least 30 minutes before serving. As the salad cools, the orzo will absorb some of the Italian dressing. Take a bite. If needed, add a bit more dressing right before serving, to suit your taste. Enjoy!
NOTE: The caloric calculation is a "basic" estimate because a variety of vegetables and/or salad dressings may be used. For the benefit of this "general calculation" I used 2 cups broccoli and 2 cups cauliflower. Obviously the combination (and individual quantity) of vegetables and Italian dressing you choose to use in this dish will yield a slightly different caloric value.
Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/roasted-veggie-orzo-salad/