Roasted Cauliflower Orzo

by Chef Jason of EatsnBeets

Here’s a meal with nothing fancy, no specialty ingredients, just a regular weeknight dinner. Perfect for your next Meatless Monday, or any day that you want something delicious and vegetarian. If you’re used to the vegetable being relegated to the supporting role of the meal, why not try making it the star of the dish? You might be surprised at how good the results can be.

Ingredients

For the chickpeas:

• Dried chickpeas (soaked overnight, or use canned—you do you)

• Artichoke heart jar juice (leftover from jarred artichoke hearts, or use water)

• Bay leaves

For the roasted cauliflower:

• 1 whole head of cauliflower (stem and leaves included)

• Black pepper

• Salt

• Salt-free seasoning blend

• Chili flake

• Melted butter

For the pasta and mix-ins:

• Orzo pasta

• Dandelion greens (or substitute other bitter greens), chopped

• Black olives

• Capers

• Green peppercorns

• Fresh lemon juice

• Preserved lemon, chopped

• Pesto

• Fresh tomatoes, diced

• Red onion, diced

For topping:

• Shaved Parmesan cheese

• Calabrian chili

Instructions

Prepare the chickpeas:

1. Soak (if using dried): Soak dried chickpeas overnight. (Use canned if you want—you do you.)

2. Cook: Cook the chickpeas in leftover artichoke heart jar juice along with bay leaves. Simmer for about 45 minutes until tender. (If using canned, just drain and rinse.)

Roast the cauliflower:

3. Break down: Break the whole head of cauliflower down into florets, including the stem and leaves—nothing goes to waste.

4. Season: Toss with pepper, salt, salt-free seasoning, chili flake, and melted butter. Mix well.

5. Roast: Spread on a sheet pan and roast at 425°F for about 18 minutes until golden and caramelized.

Cook the orzo:

6. Boil with greens: Cook orzo pasta according to package directions. (Since my garden doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides, pulled dandelion greens were added and chopped to boil with the orzo. You can substitute spinach, arugula, or other bitter greens.)

7. Drain: Once done, drain the orzo and greens.

Combine everything:

8. Toss together: In a large bowl, toss the cooked orzo with black olives, capers, green peppercorns, lemon juice, chopped preserved lemon, pesto, and diced fresh tomatoes.

9. Add chickpeas and onion: Mix in the cooked chickpeas and diced red onion.

10. Add cauliflower: Fold in the roasted cauliflower.

Serve:

11. Top and plate: Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and Calabrian chili. Dinner is served.

Note: Using the entire cauliflower (stem and leaves included) reduces waste and adds flavor. The artichoke jar juice that’s usually left over gets repurposed to cook the chickpeas, adding extra flavor. Dandelion greens from an chemical-free lawn are a free, nutritious addition, but any leafy green works.