baked veggie orzo

halloween is my least favorite holiday.

first, i live in washington, so i'm always

freezing when i have to wear a costume.

and second, i don't really love all the 'scary' stuff

with witches and ghosts and goblins, it's just weird.

if it were up to me the holiday would just consist of

pumpkin patches, harvest festivities, candy corn,

and pumpkins with cute faces.

is anyone else with me on this?



recipe via smitten kitchen

modified by me

serves 4-6

ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 celery stalks, in a 1/4-inch dice
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
lemon zest from a whole lemon
4 oz. mozzarella, firmer is better here, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
3 medium tomatoes, diced

directions

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. sprinkle your eggplant generously with salt and

let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. I

(i used this time to get the rest of my ingredients ready)

3. heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

once hot, add the oil and once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant.

fry for 8 minutes, stirring pieces occasionally.

using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer them to paper towels to drain.

4. add celery and carrots to remaining oil and

cook for 3 minutes before adding onion and garlic.

cook together for 5 more minutes on medium heat.

5. stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for two minutes more.

off the heat, add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan,

tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon table salt,

many grinds of black pepper and the stock and mix well.

6. transfer mixture to an 8×11-inch ovenproof baking dish.

cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, then bake 10 minutes without the foil.

let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

7. enjoy! :)

this is a new favorite!! great fall dish!
packed with great veggies. YUM!!!