Orzo with Roasted Cauliflower and Summer Squash

Ingredients:

• 1 head yellow, purple or white cauliflower
• 6 assorted mini summer squash
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper, freshly ground if possible
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• Non-stick cooking spray, preferably Olive Oil
• 1 box orzo
• 2 lemons, both zest and juice
• 1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1 bunch mint, short chiffonade cut

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut cauliflower and squash into small bite sized pieces. Remember you will be incorporating these vegetables into your orzo, so you want them to be fairly small. Also be sure to cut all of the vegetables the same size so they cook uniformly. Combine all in a large bowl
3. Toss the vegetables with the salt and lemon pepper. Sprinkle olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat
4. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray, pour in all of the vegetables and place into the preheated oven
5. Roast the vegetables until they have softened and browned slightly, about 30 minutes. Be sure to gently stir your vegetables every 10 minutes so all sides are evenly roasted
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and follow the instructions on the back of the box to cook the orzo
7. Finish roasting your vegetables and remove them from the roasting pan so they do not continue to cook
8. Cook and drain the orzo, then return the orzo to the pot and drizzle with olive oil
9. Pour all of the vegetables into the orzo and mix in the lemon juice, zest and Cotija cheese
10. Distribute the orzo among plates and finish each portion with the mint. Do not cut your mint too early or fold it into the entire pot of orzo, as it will darken and lose its bright green color. Bon Appétit!