Recipe of the Week: Orzo With Roasted Veggies

This Recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa, who is actually a jerk, but is a really good cook.  Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, twice turned down a little boy who's dream was to cook a meal with her.  Oh, and the little boy asked her though the Make-A-Wish foundation because he is has acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  Like I said, she's a jerk.  Anyway, here is the recipe, with couple changes here and there.  This is a recipe you can flavor to taste.  Just have fun with it, it's really hard to go wrong.

Ingredients:

Zucchini
Bell Peppers (Red, Orange or Yellow)
Onion
6 Scallions, (Green Onions), sliced on a bias
3/4 lb. Feta Cheese, 1/2 inch diced or crumbled
2 cups Fresh Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Pignolis, (Pine Nuts), toasted
2 lb. Orzo
Fresh Juice of 2 Lemons
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 can Chicken Broth
15 Fresh Basil Leaves, cut into julienne
3-4 Cooked Chicken Breasts cut into chunks

Cut vegetables (zucchini, peppers and onions) into one-inch chunks then toss them with 1/3 cup olive oil, salt and pepper (if you can, make it fresh ground black pepper).  Roast the vegetables in a single layer on a cookie sheet at 400° F for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cook orzo according to directions.  Add the chicken broth to the lemon juice and drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil while whisking to make vinaigrette.  Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper and then pour over the pasta.  Add chicken and vegetables then toss.  Sprinkle in Feta Cheese, Parmesan, pine nuts, basil, and green onions.  Toss again before serving.

I recently made this concoction with three one inch round zucchinis, three bell peppers (one yellow, one orange, and one red), and one onion.  It was a good amount of vegetables for the amount of Orzo I used (two one lb. boxes).  I found a tube of fresh basil by the fresh herbs that works like a charm (http://www.gourmetgarden.com/us/product/view/Basil).  Also, I didn't add pine nuts.  They taste amazing, but they are wicked expensive.  Also, the original recipe calls for eggplant, which I love, but my husband doesn't, so I didn't add any.  If you want the original recipe, it can be found here, http://www.food.com/recipe/orzo-with-roasted-vegetables-barefoot-contessa-ina-garten-111976.

To slice on a bias cut diagonally so that the finished product has a trapezoid type shape.  This is often seen with fancy carrots.  To cut into julienne, cut into thin slices, like matches.  This is used for making fries and other thin cut dishes.