Vegetable and Ricotta Baked Orzo

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cups mushrooms, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, fire-roasted if possible

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 lb. orzo, dry (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 1/2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Fresh basil, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a large 9×13-inch baking dish, add onion, bell pepper, mushroom, garlic, dried basil, dried parsley, and salt. Drizzle with olive oil, stir until is well combined, then transfer to the oven to bake for 15 minutes.

3. Once the vegetables have cooked, remove the baking dish from the oven, add the chopped spinach and give it a good stir until it begins to wilt into the vegetable mixture.

4. Add the canned tomatoes and ricotta cheese and stir again until well incorporated with the vegetables. Then add the dry orzo and broth and stir until everything is well combined.

5.?Return the baking dish, uncovered, to the oven for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and give everything a good stir, and return it to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

6. Once the pasta is tender, remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, and then return the baking dish to the oven for a final 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. (Optional: Once the cheese is melted, you can turn the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes to give the cheese a golden-brown color.)

7. Once the cheese has melted, remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

8. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

• Calories: 584
• Total Fat: 17
• Total Carbohydrate: 80
• Dietary Fiber: 9g
• Total Sugars: 13
• Protein: 26g