So, you’ve got a family with a big appetite, and you want to serve them something nutritious.  Try tossing together this fabulously delicious dish and see if they don’t walk away from the table with full, satisfied tummies!

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo
2 lemons freshly squeezed (1/3 cup lemon juice)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat oven 425 F.  Assemble eggplant, red and green bell peppers, onion, and garlic on a large sheet pan.  Toss with 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast for 40 minutes  flip over with a spatula one time.  While this is baking begin cooking the orzo in boiling water that has been salted, for 8 minutes or until tender.  Drain and put in a large serving bowl.  Place the vegetables on top making sure to scrape out as much juice from the roasting pan as you can.  Now you can make the dressing.  Combine the rest of the virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Mix well and pour over the pasta dish.  Allow the pasta and vegetables to cool to barely warm.  Then, top with the remaining ingredients.  Serve at warmish room temperature.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 7:55 am and is filed under Recipe Of The Day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.