Recipe: Lemon Orzo Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas

It's been quite a while since my last recipe post, but I swear to you, I've been a busy lady in my kitchen these days! While I'm still grabbing lunch and dinner with friends here and there, I've been doing a lot of cooking with a handful of my new favorite foods - brussels sprouts, quinoa, pine nuts, orzo, chia, broccoli, lemon and tomato - the list goes on and on.

Over the weekend, I stumbled on a recipe for orzo pasta with broccoli and chickpeas (thank you Family Fresh Cooking!) and I knew I had to make it ASAP. With a few alterations, I can already tell this is going to become a spring recipe favorite of mine. This recipe can be served hot or cold, only takes 35-40 minutes to make and has a great spring kick with lots of lemon and pepper. 

My tastebuds are so, so in.

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Lemon Orzo Pasta with Broccoli, Chick Peas and Pine Nuts

Recipe modified from Family Fresh Cooking

Ingredients:

Orzo: 1 cup

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas): 1 can

Broccoli: 1 head

Pine nuts: 3/4 cup

Lemon: 1 whole

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop broccoli and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

2. Rinse and drain garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Pat dry and place on separate baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

3. Place broccoli and chickpeas in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Boil 3 cups water. Once boiling, add salt and orzo. Cook until tender. Once orzo is cooked and drained, add 2 tablespoons olive oil.

5. In a separate pan, toast pine nuts on low until light brown (not burnt).

6. Combine orzo, pine nuts, broccoli and chick peas.

7. Squeeze one whole lemon into the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Enjoy!

xo,