How to make orzo with roasted vegetables

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gather your vegetables.

Thinly slice red pepper and place in a large bowl.

Do the same for the yellow pepper.

Chop the eggplant into chunks and add to the peppers.

Chop red onion and add to the bowl.

Dump vegetables in a roasting pan or large baking dish and drizzle olive oil on top.

Add 1 tsp minced garlic.

Mix well.

Place pan in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cut 10-12 basil leaves into thin strips.

Set aside.

At 20 minutes, remove vegetables from oven and flip using a spatula. Return pan to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting the second time, boil orzo for 9 minutes.

Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon (approx 1/2 cup.)

Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and stir well.

Ideally, you would slice your feta cheese into bit-sized chunks, but if you are in a pinch, you can use crumbled feta instead.

When orzo is done cooking, drain water and add pasta to a large bowl.

Remove vegetables from oven.

Add roasted vegetables.

Add feta cheese.

Add lemon and oil mixture.

Add basil. Stir well. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Serve and enjoy (hot or cold!)

A special thanks to Debbie Arco who introduced this dish to me and shared her recipe. To see the original recipe, visit http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=654.