An incredibly delicious and easy crowd pleaser that is bursting with flavor!

Before I met my amazing mother-in-law, I didn’t do anything too creative with grains or pasta. Rice was just rice and pasta went with cheese and ketchup. My mother-in-law introduced me to the world of grain side dishes and salads. This was one of the early dishes she served me, way back when. I’ve swapped a few ingredients and added some new ones to make it deliciously next level!

I like to make this in an oven-to-table dish so I can bring it directly to the table. Less time in the kitchen = more time with family! I purchase a lot of my oven-to-tableware in Target, Home Goods and the like. This is a nice one I found on Amazon. I love that it’s a set of three so I can use them for multiple things.

You can swap rice or your favorite grain for the orzo, just note that baking times may vary.

Spinach Garlic Confit Oven-Baked Orzo

An incredibly delicious and easy crowd-pleaser that is bursting with flavor!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 Medium yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
2 Medium green zuchini, thinly sliced
10-12 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 bag (12oz) frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups water
1 box (1lb) orzo

Instructions

Place the fist 6 ingredients in an oven to table dish or 9×13 pan, toss well.
Bake uncovered on 400 for 35-40 minutes or until it roasted.
In the same pan, add orzo and water and mix everything together.
Cover and bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes, checking after 20 minutes, and then continue to check every 10-15 minutes. Don't worry if you see some liquid when you take it out, it will get absorbed as the dish cools.

Notes

Add any vegetable you like! It’s delicious with mushrooms, add a jalapeno to make it spicy, and it’s insanely good with the addition of diced sausage or little pieces of pastrami.