Summer Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about 1¼ Tablespoons of salt. When the water is boiling, cook the orzo according to package directions - typically about 8 - 10 minutes. Drain and run under cold water while stirring in the colander until mostly cool. Then, transfer to a large bowl.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the cherry tomatoes on it. Dice the zucchini into 1” half moons or squares. Peel the red onion and dice it into large squares. Add the drained garbanzo beans. Toss the veggies with ¼ cup of olive oil - yes, it’s a lot, but it becomes flavored in the oven and will be the dressing for all of that pasta. Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon oregano, and all of the lemon zest and ½ of the lemon juice. Toss again to coat and place in the oven.

Roast for about 12 - 15 minutes, stirring once.

When the veggies are done, remove from the oven and scrape the whole pan, including all of that delicious olive oil too, into the cooled pasta. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Squeeze the other ½ of the lemon into the pasta too.

Dice the mozzarella. If you have the smaller mozzarella balls you can just slice them in ½ or decide to leave them whole. Add it.

Chop about ⅓ of the bunch of parsley, all the way down the every end of the stems. Add to the pasta. Toss once more and taste, altering the salt or more olive oil if needed.

Plate big scoops of pasta. Serve warm, cold or anywhere in between.