Rice or orzo pesto salad

Found some gf orzo

Good tasty way to use up all that basil and zucchini 🤗

Got the idea from this orzo salad which I can’t eat https://youtu.be/O9cl309ADsA?si=J-7PAfPK8N4b1RnE

So for my version:

Salad ingredients:

8 ounces cherry tomatoes sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chickpeas

4 cups of cooked rice or orzo ( found gf at Amazon!)

2 small zucchini - sliced

2 peaches sliced ( or used canned ones)

Save some pasta water to add to the finished mix

Pesto ingredients:

2 cups basil

1 cup parsley 

1/4 cup almonds 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper if desired 

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons hemp hearts

1/3 cup olive oil (we did less- just added to individual portions to use less oil) Sometimes I add a little cashew cream.

Preheat oven to 400F

Place cut up cherry tomatoes on parchment lined pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook about 30 minutes or until tender and roasted looking. Do the same with zucchini but cook less— 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile cook your rice.

Place pesto ingredients In food processor and blend well.

Mix pesto with garbanzo beans ( chickpeas), and tomatoes and squash. Add some pasta water if desired.

Dish rice into deep bowls and mix as much of the veggie pesto mixture into each as desired. Add sliced peaches and serve.

I forgot the peaches in the photo. 

Go to link for the pasta version. He used asparagus. He roasts the garbanzo beans— I prefer them without the crunch. He adds oil to the vegetables to be roasted- we omit for less oil.