Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Orzo

Easy orzo pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes and fresh basil is just what I crave on a hot summer night. In the summer, I’m all about the quick and easy meals that are light and refreshing.

When Cade and I first started the blog I was whisked off on a fun little business trip where we got to try small servings of an entire menu. During the tasting a roasted garlic pasta was served to us with huge whole garlic cloves that were heavily fragrant.

I carefully ate around them only to notice my seat mate was enjoying the entire dish, full cloves of garlic and all. “Do people really eat garlic?” I thought. I mean, I knew it went in dishes but to be an actual component felt odd.

I sliced a chunk off of a clove, swirled and twisted my noodles up around it and the fork and I’ve been sold ever since. The sweetness of the garlic comes out in the roasting time and no, it doesn’t remove the smell off your breath, but it’s worth it!!

Ingredients in this Orzo Recipe

This orzo recipe may give you garlic breath, but we are going to add a few more flavor to it! Here is what you will need:

• Cherry Tomatoes: black cherry, piccolo or Vittoria varieties are our favorites
• Olive Oil: for roasting the tomatoes and cooking the garlic
• Salt and Pepper: for seasoning the roasted tomatoes and for seasoning the whole dish
• Garlic: flavor, flavor, flavor
• Butter: helps pan roast the orzo and adds loads of flavor
• Orzo: sauteing the pasta beforehand adds a delicious nutty flavor
• Lemon Juice: fresh is best
• White Wine: we use cooking wine, but feel free to use whatever brand you want
• Chicken Stock: could easily swap this out for vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian
• Water: helps cook the orzo
• Basil Leaves: I highly suggest using fresh basil only.
• Parmesan Cheese: freshly grated parm on top is the best
• Red Pepper Flakes: adds heat, add as much as you want!
• Pine Nuts: adds texture and flavor

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Orzo

This recipe comes together so easily and most of the time is spent waiting for the tomatoes to roast and the orzo to cook. Here are the basic steps:

1. Roast the tomatoes.
2. Pan roast the garlic and then the orzo.
3. Let the orzo simmer in all the flavors.
4. Add the liquids to cook the pasta.
5. Season to taste and top with the pine nuts, basil and parmesan.

All the details can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. You can also save or print the recipe from there.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

We have so many recipes that use garlic, tomatoes and basil. It is a classic combination of simple flavors that you can just never go wrong wi

Fresh sweet peaches are tossed together with sugar and spices, then baked in between layers of brown sugar and oats to form a chewy sweet crust for this Peach Crunch.

If you’re anything like my family, peach season means that many of your favorite desserts are about to be made. This peach crunch recipe has been a favorite since long before this blog was a thing.

Peach Oatmeal Crisp

It doesn’t matter how many other varieties of fruit desserts I make, I always come back to the chewy sweet awesomeness of a fruit crunch.

This is basically a peach oatmeal crisp, but with an extra layer of that irresistible crisp topping.

Almost firm enough to cut into bars and yet just fruity enough to still resemble a crisp, a fruit crunch is simply a fruit crisp with both a top and bottom crust layer.

Don’t be intimidated by the crust layers or the topping, no cutting in cold butter is required. Melted butter is poured into the dry ingredients. Just stir with a fork to form perfect buttery sweet oatmeal crumbs to top this dessert.

Peach Cobbler with Oats

If you’ve ever made a southern-style peach cobbler (and if you haven’t made this recipe, you’re truly missing out!) you’ll notice that the ingredient list is very much the same.

You’re just going to add oats to the usual lineup of cobbler ingredients.

Peach Filling Ingredients

• peaches
• sugar
• cinnamon
• cornstarch
• kosher salt
• lemon juice

Crust Ingredients

• all-purpose flour
• light brown sugar
• old-fashioned oats
• melted butter

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad +Video

Bright Mediterranean flavors are packed into this fresh and healthy quinoa salad – spinach, tomato, cucumber, feta, red onion all tossed with fresh herbs and a sweet and tangy homemade dressing. It is a perfect summer salad!

Years ago we had a blogger lunch with all of the Utah food bloggers. There were only a few of us back then and it was simple to gather around a table to discuss life and business. There was a quinoa salad at one lunch that was fairly decent but lacked a little flavor.

This was my first introduction to quinoa so I blamed it on the grain. However, it felt fresh and nourishing so I’ve been playing with my own version ever since.

A friend of mine blew my mind by introducing me to Prosecco vinegar and it’s become not only the best quinoa salad but one of my favorite summer side salads period.

How to Make Quinoa Salad Video

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is technically the seed of a plant, but it is classified as a whole grain. It is a great source of plant protein and fiber.

Ingredients for Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need to make this tasty summer salad and the homemade salad dressing to go with it…

• Tri Color Quinoa: You can use any quinoa that you want. I just love the way this looks in the dish.
• Spinach: Grab some fresh spinach and chop it up! It adds great color, flavor and nutrients!
• Cucumber: We prefer English cucumbers so you don’t have to peel them and they are less seedy.
• Mung Beans: This is totally optional but I love the texture of beans in a salad and they are a great source of plant protein. We like Bob’s Red Mill brand.
• Grape Tomatoes: Slice them in half to make them easier

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! My boys are finally home from camp, we’re getting ready for the school year (8th grade, 12th grade, and second year of college are about to begin here), we have family visiting this week (YAY!), and I am very much looking forward to a return to routine this fall.

ON THE BLOGS this week: Perfectly sweetened and wonderfully spiced jam with just a hint of cinnamon, homemade peach jam has been a staple in our home for about 15 years.

This spinach orzo salad is filled with cranberries, creamy goat cheese, tender pasta, and plenty of fresh spinach tossed in a tangy sweet dressing. The salad can be served immediately or kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days – making this an awesome make-ahead meal for lunch or dinner.

What’s not to love about a fully loaded pasta salad filled with chewy bites of bacon and chunks of hard-boiled eggs? This creamy pasta has a bright, smoky dressing made with just a few ingredients and it’s a perfect match for the bacon and eggs.

Crispy edges and tender insides make each bite of these garlicky red potatoes with parmesan cheese an experience worth savoring.

This peach Caprese salad is a vibrant medley of flavors and textures, crafted to tantalize your taste buds and transport you to a sunny orchard in the height of peach season.

Want to elevate roasted broccoli and cauliflower to a whole new level of deliciousness? Try tossing them with oil, garlic, and a dash of smoked paprika before roasting them together to tender-crisp perfection.

Indulge in nostalgic fruity fun with a plate of Fruity Pebbles pancakes. These colorful, fluffy pancakes are infused with the iconic flavor of Fruity Pebbles cereal. Snacked on out of hand or plated with whipped cream and a drizzle of syrup, they’re a treat.

Creamy vanilla ice cream perfectly complements the tangy sweetness of rhubarb in this rhubarb swirl ice cream. A simple rhubarb sauce is swirled throughout each bite for a tantalizing and refreshing treat that combines the sweet creaminess of ice cream with the zesty allure of rhubarb.

What I’m CRAVING: My friend Erin’s Big Mac Salad caught my eye last week and it needs to happen in my house soon. It reminds me of Rebecca’s

Creamy vanilla ice cream perfectly complements the tangy sweetness of rhubarb in this homemade rhubarb ice cream. A simple rhubarb sauce is swirled throughout each bite for a tantalizing and refreshing treat that combines the sweet creaminess of ice cream with the zesty allure of rhubarb.

What exactly is it about homemade ice cream that always tastes better than any other? Is it the fact we don’t have to leave the house to enjoy it?

Maybe it’s the nostalgia of churning ice cream on Grandma’s side porch that makes me smile, even though I very happily use an electric ice cream compressor to make ice cream now.

Whichever machine you choose to use (or not use) to make ice cream, I hope that you’ll love this rhubarb ice cream every bit as much as our family and friends do!

With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! Don’t miss the Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs! Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!

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