Orzo with roasted heirloom tomatoes and onions

The other day at the grocery store I came across some baby heirloom tomatoes and became quickly excited! I double checked to make sure that they were not from Mexico. They were not, score!  They were gorgeous and I decided to buy them since a container was only $2!  Not bad!

While I know that tomatoes are not in season right now, I also realize that some farmers run hydroponics in the winter to provide more produce.  This is a practice that I do not have an issue with.

Because these tomatoes were gorgeous, I wanted to use them in a dish that would show them off and not cover them up.  Tomatoes can easily get lost in a dish if there’s a lot going on or if the sauce is really heavy.  I wanted to avoid this as much as possible.

Tomatoes have a ton of juice in them that can easily be used as a “sauce”.  Extremely useful because you won’t lose any tomato flavor and it helps keep dishes light so that they don’t sit heavy in the tum.

I decided to go with a light pasta dish and roasting the tomatoes which makes this dish quick, easy, and only one pot needed!

Andrea’s Orzo with Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Onions

  • 1 1/2C Dry Orzo pasta
  • 1 small onion thinly sliced
  • 3C baby heirloom tomatos, halved
  • 1TBSP Olive Oil
  • 1tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1tsp Garlic powder
  • Pinch Red pepper flakes
  • Pinch Sea salt
  • Grated Parm to taste

Preheat oven to 400F and set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Cook the orzo until done and according to package directions.  Orzo doesn’t take too long so keep an eye on it.

In a storage bag (or medium sized mixing bowl) add in the onion, tomatoes, olive oil, and seasonings.  Make sure everything is coated well and place on a lined baking sheet spray with nonstick spray.  Cook in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and the onions soften.  Doesn’t take too long.

Add the tomatoes and onions to the orzo and combine.  Make sure to use all the “sauce” from the baking sheet.  Add in some grated parm to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

This dish was fantastic!  I’m not a huge pasta eater but I could not get enough of this side dish.  It was all I wanted to eat!  The tomatoes were sweet and provided great bursts of flavor mixed with the delicate and smooth pasta.  Roasted onions are one of the best things ever, in my opinion, and are a great addition to just about any dish.  They are sweet and get nice and crispy caramelized ends when they roast.  So good!

If you don’t have any or can’t find some baby heirlooms, grape or cherry tomatoes will work just as well.  Of course, leaving off the cheese will keep this dish vegan friendly.

My only change is that I would use more tomatoes next time!  The amount I used here was tasty but more would be even better.

This would be a great dish to take to a potluck.  It can be eaten hot, room temp, or even cold.  I’m pretty sure it would fit most palates and please just about everyone.

If you need a quick side dish or are looking for something to do with some tomatoes that you need to use up, give this dish a try.

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

8 thoughts on “Orzo with roasted heirloom tomatoes and onions

  1. Yummy! That sounds so good right now. I am really bad about eating seasonal produce. It’s something I want to work toward, after going to a more whole diet completely.

  2. So, I’m still catching up on blogs from when I was out of town. That means I’m reading them all backwards. This, the salad, the pizza, and then the potatoes. Fuck yeah! Seeing all the goodness all at once is almost too much to handle. Great eats, lady!

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