One Pot Spinach Pesto Orzo

A quick weeknight pasta meal filled with spinach and pesto flavor.

Garnish the pasta with parmesan and serve.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 shallots, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 300g (10.5 oz) orzo

• 5 oz spinach

• 240mL (1 cup) soy milk

• 2 tbsp basil pesto

•  400ml (1 2/3 cups) vegetable broth

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 15 oz can of white beans

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or parmesan for non-vegan)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pot. Sautee the shallots until translucent then add the garlic. Add the orzos to the pan and toast for 1 minute.

2. Meanwhile, make the spinach sauce: in a blender, combine the spinach, soymilk, and pesto.

3. Add the spinach sauce and vegetable broth to the pot with the orzos and boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the orzos are almost fully cooked.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes and beans to the pot and cook until the orzos are cooked to preference.

5. Turn off the heat and mix in the lemon juice. Garnish with nutritional yeast and serve.