Zucchini is also known as summer squash, but in most groceries you can get them all year round. This means you can enjoy this wonderful roasted zucchini with orzo any time. And, instead of being cooking with the pasta, these zucchini slices are roasted in the oven for a deep flavor.

To start with you’ll need to drizzle some olive oil on 2 baking sheets and then lay out your zucchini slices. I personally think the homegrown zucchini that grew a bit too large have the best flavor, but for this recipe we’re using 2 medium-sized ones.

While the zucchini slices are cooking you can make the orzo, and when that’s done toss it with butter, pesto, and parsley. Shredded butter lettuce adds another level of crunch and freshness.

Once the zucchini slices have browned up you can combine them with the orzo for a lively summer (or any season) side dish that goes perfectly with chicken, fish, or can even stand on its own as a vegetarian main dish.

To make it more of a centerpiece add a bit more parmesan on top for extra protein. And, if zucchini isn’t your thing you can change up the veggies to your taste. This recipe would work well with broccoli, yellow squash, portobello mushrooms, or even broccoli. You may have to adjust the cooking times, but otherwise the rest of the recipe works with many types veggies.

It couldn’t be easier to make and has so much fresh flavor that you’ll wonder how you got by without this staple recipe in your rotation.