One-Pan Vegetable and Orzo Tian

Why This Recipe Works

The challenge in developing this dish was getting the pasta and vegetables to finish cooking simultaneously without sacrificing taste or texture. While most recipes first cook orzo separately in a pot, we achieved perfectly cooked pasta by tightly shingling the vegetables on the orzo’s surface, trapping the moisture within the confines of the casserole dish. Swapping out water for vegetable broth as our cooking liquid reinforced the vegetables’ flavor, and shallots and garlic mixed into the orzo provided aromatic depth and sweetness. Stirring in some Parmesan gave the orzo a creamy texture, and a combination of oregano and red pepper flakes contributed floral, spicy notes to this otherwise mild meal. To our delight, the pasta and vegetables were close to perfection after 20 minutes in a hot oven. More Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of the vegetables before a few minutes under the broiler made for an appealing presentation, and chopped basil made for a fresh, bright finish. When shopping, look for squash, zucchini, and tomatoes with similar-size circumferences so that they are easy to shingle into the dish.