This colorful vegetable casserole has a striking look but a simple approach. A tian is an assortment of roasted vegetables cooking in a shallow dish, sometimes with cheese or au gratin.
Arranging slices of moisture-rich zucchini, summer squash, and tomatoes over the uncooked orzo and baking the dish all together lets us skip precooking the pasta and streamlines the recipe.
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Garlic, shallots, oregano, and pepper flakes add punch to the fresh vegetables, while a topping of broiled Parmesan adds just the right finishing note.
Crisp garlic toasts are a perfect accompaniment to the creamy orzo.
Look for squash, zucchini and tomatoes with similar-size circumferences so that they are easy to shingle into the dish.
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
Crisp garlic toasts are a perfect accompaniment to the creamy orzo.
Look for squash, zucchini and tomatoes with similar-size circumferences so that they are easy to shingle into the dish.
VEGETABLE AND ORZO TIAN WITH GARLIC TOASTS
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Parmesan cheese
- 2 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 1 yellow summer squash
- 12 ounces plum tomatoes
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 loaf rustic bread
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Adjust one oven rack to middle position and a second rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 425 F. Grate Parmesan (1 1/2 cups). Mince shallots. Mince 3 garlic cloves. Combine orzo, oregano, pepper flakes, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, shallots, minced garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl. Spread mixture evenly into broiler-safe 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
- Slice zucchini and squash 1/4 inch thick. Core tomatoes and slice 1/4 inch thick. Alternately shingle zucchini, squash, and tomatoes in tidy rows on top of orzo.[post_ads]
- Carefully pour broth over top of vegetables. Bake on lower rack until orzo is just tender and most of broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice four 3/4-inch-thick slices of bread and spread out evenly over rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
- Remove dish from oven and heat broiler. Drizzle vegetables with 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Broil on lower rack until nicely browned and bubbling around edges, about 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- While tian rests, broil bread on upper rack, flipping as needed, until well toasted on both sides, about 4 minutes. Peel remaining 1 garlic clove and rub one side of each toast with garlic, then drizzle toasts with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Chop 2 tablespoons basil and sprinkle over tian. Serve with toasts.
Nutrition information per serving: 506 calories; 134 calories from fat; 15 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 875 mg sodium; 75 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 19 g protein.
