Name: Roasted Tomato Basil and Feta Orzo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 4 cups cherry tomatoes; 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and skin removed; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves ((or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)); 1 teaspoon chili powder; 3 teaspoons honey; kosher salt and black pepper; 3 ounces prosciutto, torn ((optional)); 1 pound dry orzo pasta; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1/2 of a small shallot, grated; red pepper flakes; 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped; 1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs, such as dill and chives; 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled; 1/3 cup toasted nuts/seeds

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Roasted Tomato Basil and Feta Orzo…for a quick and simple dinner. Orzo pasta, sweet and juicy roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, herbs, feta cheese, and toasted pine nuts, all combined to create a quick pasta dinner. Finish it off with crispy, salty prosciutto for a truly delicious pasta dish. Every bite bursts in your mouth…it’s pretty hard to beat this simple spring/summer pasta.

It might still be a little chilly outside, but mentally I’ve pretty much moved onto summer. I mean, kind of. Cherry tomatoes are slowly coming into season and this dish feels a little bit on the summery side, right? Regardless of the season, it’s DELICIOUS, and it literally takes just thirty minutes from start to finish.

If you read Sunday’s Favorites, you know that some of my family is currently in Arizona. And then some are at home in southern California. Somehow I’m in Colorado enjoying the colder temps and snow. It’s totally fine, I’m not jealous or anything…

Instead I’m drawing inspiration from what they’ve been eating by recreating some of their recipes. It’s actually pretty fun for me and I love all the new ideas! Today’s dish was actually something I’d come up with prior to them taking off. But their trip pushed me to finally create the recipe.

So here we are! And guys, it’s beyond good.

(tomatoes before roasting)

The Idea

As mentioned, I came up with this idea sometime last week. But I finally made it over the weekend after receiving a fresh order of herbs and edible flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. I figured a roasted pasta with pretty edible flowers would be nice for today!

I wanted to create a warm orzo pasta with an olive oil base and lots of sweet roasted cherry tomatoes. Feta cheese sounded like the perfect cheese to pair alongside this pasta, and then the prosciutto adds that nice crunch.

(pasta before adding the tomatoes)

Here are the quick details

I always start out by roasting the tomatoes. It’s KEY to using cherry tomatoes, which I find to be pretty delicious year-round. I toss them up with olive oil, garlic, chili powder (for heat), and honey to help them really caramelize and become sweet and addicting.

While the tomatoes roast, I also crisp the prosciutto in the oven at the same time.

While everything is in the oven I boil the orzo and make a quick olive oil-based vinaigrette for the pasta. It’s a simple mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a small bit of shallot. I add the hot pasta right to the vinaigrette, then toss it up with lots of fresh herbs. Once the hot pasta hits the fresh herbs and vinaigrette everything immediately smells incredible.

At this point, the tomatoes should be done, so give that garlic a fine chop and toss the tomatoes and garlic in with the pasta. Add lots of feta cheese and then that crispy prosciutto.

And geez, that’s it. I told you this is simple, but yet it still has sophistication. Between the roasted tomatoes and garlic, fresh herbs, cheese, and prosciutto, there is so much happening here.

I love that this dish comes together pretty quickly. And while I prefer eating this warm, it would also be great to serve up cold at picnics or upcoming summer gatherings. You could even pack it up for lunch!

Either way you serve it up, it’s going to be good. I always recommend a little extra cheese on top and toasted ciabatta bread on the side. Yumm!

Looking for a few other quick ideas? Try these…

One Pot 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake

Souper Creamy Lemon Butter Cheesy Zucchini Orzo

Basil Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Chicken, Prosciutto, and Arugula

Lastly, if you make this Roasted Tomato Basil and Feta Orzo be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!