Lemony Veggie Pastina
This is a really easy one-pot pasta weeknight meal that is full of pantry staples and a great way to clean out some leftover veggies. It's also a great way to hide veggies under a bunch of cheese and pasta, for all of those picky eaters out there!
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Large pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 12 oz box of pastina or other small pasta, like orzo
- 4 cups chopped vegetables (You can use anything you have in your fridge - I really like it with brussels sprouts and asparagus, but its also great with zucchini, broccoli, kale, or spinach)
- 2 sprigs thyme stems removed
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 40 oz chicken broth
- 1/4 cup feta crumbled
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, combine the butter and garlic.
- Add the veggies and pastina, and cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are partially cooked (i.e. greens are starting to wilt, asparagus is nice and green). Make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir.
- Add 1 cup (8 oz) of chicken broth to deglaze the pan, along with the lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine and scrape everything from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the remaining 32 oz of chicken broth and stir frequently until the pastina is cooked and thickened. This should take about 8-10 minutes. If your pastina is sticking to the bottom and your liquid is fully absorbed, you can add more water or chicken broth.
- Once the pastina is cooked, add the feta, pecorino, and ricotta. And stir to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with more lemon zest and pecorino.
Notes
This stores nicely in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about a week. When you want to reheat, take your desired portion out of the container, add about 1/4 cup of additional liquid (chicken broth or water) for every cup of pastina. Then reheat and stir to combine.