Pesto Orzo with Roasted White Beans and Vegetables

From Michele Magruder, United Way Worldwide

Recipe Story

This recipe has quickly become a favorite in our house - I adapted it from the Feeding Littles cookbook. It's quick, you can prep a lot of it ahead of time, makes few dishes, and is a great way to use up vegetables before they go bad. My 2-year-old always asks for seconds so it's also toddler approved!

Ingredients

• 16 oz box of orzo (or similar small pasta)
• 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• Vegetables, chopped -- enough to fill a sheet pan
• 1-2 cups pesto (store-bought or homemade)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large sheet pan and a small sheet pan with non-stick spray. Fill a 6 qt pot with water, salt heavily and bring to a boil on the stove. 2. Wash and chop vegetables -- this recipe is flexible to use what you like or need to use up. Broccoli, squash, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, Brussel sprouts (or a mix of any of them). Spread chopped vegetables out on the large sheet pan and drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir. Put in oven on lowest shelf for 20-30 minutes until they start to brown and get crispy. 3. Drain and rinse beans. Lay out on a paper towel and pat dry. Spread on small sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to oven on middle rack for 12-15 minutes, until they get crispy and some beans pop open. 4. Once water is boiling, add the orzo and cook according to package and pasta is al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return orzo to pot. 5. Once vegetables and beans are done, add to pot with cooked pasta and stir in pesto sauce until reach desired amount of sauce/flavor. Add some of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, if pasta mixture is too dry. 6. Serve (makes 4-6 servings) and top with Parmesan cheese.