Orzo With Roasted Red Peppers & Asparagus

This was a quick dish I threw together the other night...

As a child, and even today, I loved orzo pasta simply prepared with margarine, salt and pepper. Since I didn't want to eat just that for dinner, I decided to add some veggies that I had on hand as well.

I used a 12 oz bag of frozen asparagus from Trader Joes, thawed for 5-6 minutes in the microwave, and then chopped into 1" pieces. Trader Joe's frozen asparagus tends to become very mushy, VERY fast, so keep an eye on it in the microwave, and add it to your skillet at the last minute. Spices were kind of a mix and match. I use a mix called Sandwich Sprinkle from Penzey's Spice Company, as well as basil and thyme.

Photo by ~Rita~

Orzo With Roasted Red Peppers & Asparagus

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta

12 ounces asparagus, thawed, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 large roasted red peppers, chopped

3 tablespoons margarine (Earth Balance)

2 garlic cloves, minced

garlic salt, to taste

basil, to taste

thyme, to taste

oregano, to taste

salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1.  Cook orzo according to package directions.

2.  Heat skillet over medium heat.

3.  Spray with non stick cooking spray.

4.  Add Earth Balance margarine and garlic and cook until fragrant.

5.  Add chopped roasted red peppers and spices to taste.

6.  Reduce heat to low, add chopped asparagus and stir to coat.

7.  Drain orzo, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

8.  Add orzo to skillet, and gently mix, adding pasta water as needed.

Photo by ~Rita~