Roasted Zucchini Orzo (With Chickpeas and Feta)
This roasted zucchini orzo is a simple sheet pan dinner that turns everyday ingredients into a fresh, Mediterranean style meal.
It fits busy weeknights, and the leftovers hold up just as nicely the next day.
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Why you’ll love this roasted zucchini orzo!
We started making this dish after falling hard for a roasted cauliflower orzo we cook on repeat. One evening, with a crisper drawer full of zucchini from the farmers market, we swapped the cauliflower out and never looked back. Same cozy format, lighter feel, and somehow even more summery…
Here is what lands in the pan: caramelized roasted zucchini, crisp chickpeas, creamy crumbled feta, briny olives, and orzo tossed in a bright lemon dressing. Almost all of the work happens in the oven.
While the vegetables roast, we whisk the dressing in a small bowl and boil the orzo. Then everything meets on the sheet pan, gets folded together, and lands in hearty bowls.
We also love how it fits the way we like to eat. The original article describes the dish as fiber rich, protein rich, and loaded with vegetables, which sits comfortably inside a Mediterranean style eating pattern. Nothing here is hard to find, either.
Zucchini, canned chickpeas, orzo, lemons, and feta are all supermarket staples, so there is no specialty shopping trip required.
That makes it a natural fit for easy dinners, meal prep lunches, and the annual summer zucchini situation. If you have a garden that keeps giving, this is the recipe that keeps up with it.
It is also one of those plates that works for a crowd, since you can stretch it with extra vegetables or a simple green salad on the side.
If you enjoy orzo in other shapes and forms, there are plenty more ideas to explore on the blog…
One pan, one pot, and about 45 minutes from start to finish. That is the whole promise here.
Ingredients
Here is everything you need. This recipe makes 4 servings, which is generous enough for dinner with a little left over for tomorrow.
For the pan
- 2 pounds zucchini, about 4 medium, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Zest and juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon mustard, Dijon or yellow
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- Half teaspoon salt, plus black pepper to taste
To finish and toss
- 1 cup orzo
- One third cup olives, such as Kalamata, Castelvetrano, or Taggiasca, pitted
- Half cup crumbled feta, or more to taste
- One quarter cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped
Nearly every ingredient has a stand in, which is what makes this recipe so forgiving on a busy night. Here are the swaps that work best.
| Ingredient | Easy swaps |
|---|---|
| Zucchini | Yellow summer squash is the closest match. Broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, bell peppers, or mushrooms also roast beautifully here. |
| Chickpeas | Cannellini beans, butter beans, or cooked lentils. |
| Extra virgin olive oil | Avocado oil. |
| Smoked paprika | Sweet paprika, or a pinch of ground cumin. |
| Orzo | Quinoa, farro, pearl couscous, Israeli couscous, ditalini, small shells, other small pasta, or cooked brown rice. |
| Lemon | Red wine vinegar. |
| Dijon mustard | Yellow mustard or whole grain mustard. |
| Honey | Maple syrup or agave. |
| Dried oregano | Italian seasoning or dried thyme. |
| Garlic | Fresh grated is best. Omit it, or use garlic infused olive oil if you are sensitive. |
| Olives | Capers or chopped sun dried tomatoes. |
| Feta | Goat cheese, crumbled ricotta salata, or dairy free feta. |
| Fresh parsley | Basil, dill, or mint. |
How to Make Roasted Zucchini Orzo
The whole dish comes together in about 45 minutes, with 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking. Here is the flow, step by step.
Step 1. Roast the zucchini and chickpeas
Preheat the oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 220 degrees Celsius. Cut the zucchini into bite size half moons and add them to a large sheet pan along with the chickpeas, drained and patted dry.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with the smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Toss well, spread everything into a single layer, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes.
You are looking for zucchini that is tender with browned edges and chickpeas that are lightly crisp.
Step 2. Make the Dressing
While the vegetables roast, whisk the dressing in a small bowl: olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, honey, dried oregano, grated garlic, salt, and black pepper.
About 10 minutes before the zucchini is ready, cook the orzo in salted boiling water until just al dente, following the package instructions. Drain it well, but do not rinse.
Hot orzo drinks up the dressing and the roasted pan juices far better than cold pasta ever would.
Step 3. Toss everything on the sheet pan
Once the orzo is drained, tip it while still hot straight onto the sheet pan with the roasted zucchini and chickpeas.
Scatter over the olives, crumbled feta, and chopped parsley, then pour on the lemon dressing. Fold everything together gently right on the pan until the orzo is evenly coated and the feta softens just a little.
Step 4. Serve warm
Serve it warm, with an extra squeeze of lemon, more fresh herbs, and a little more feta on top.
It also tastes lovely at room temperature, which makes it easy for meal prep, packed lunches, or a relaxed summer dinner on the porch.
Tips
A few small details make a real difference here, and they are the ones we come back to every single time.
- Roasting time is flexible. About 30 minutes, or a few minutes longer, gives you deeply caramelized zucchini with charred edges, especially if your pieces are on the large side. A convection setting browns things even faster. Around 20 minutes gets you tender crisp zucchini with a firmer bite and less color.
- Cut for texture. Aim for half inch thick half moons. The centers stay tender while the edges brown.
- Use a big pan. A large 18 by 13 inch half sheet pan is ideal, or use two smaller pans. Everything needs room to sit in a single layer so it caramelizes instead of steaming.
- Dry the chickpeas. Pat them with a clean kitchen towel before they hit the pan. Dry chickpeas crisp; wet ones just soften.
- Roast hot. 430 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) is the sweet spot for caramelized edges and tender centers.
- Cook the orzo to just al dente. It keeps absorbing dressing after you toss it, so leave a little bite.
- Never rinse the orzo. Add it hot to the sheet pan. That surface starch is exactly what helps the lemon dressing cling to every piece.
- Warm or room temperature, both work. We serve it straight from the pan on busy nights and chilled from the fridge the next day.
For a quick nutrition picture, the source lists each serving (1 of 4) at 460 calories, 60 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of protein, 19 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 8 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 886 milligrams of sodium.
Make ahead and storage are simple. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cool completely, store in an airtight container, and reheat gently with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.
It also works beautifully as a cold salad straight from the fridge, which is one of our favorite ways to eat it on a hot afternoon.
Pair it with grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp if you want extra protein, or keep it plant based and serve it next to a green salad and a scoop of hummus.
More Easy Sheet Pan Dinners
If this one earns a permanent spot in your rotation, there are more easy sheet pan dinners worth trying: Greek sheet pan gnocchi, tofu shawarma bowl, cauliflower shawarma bowl, turmeric cauliflower and chickpeas, vegetable shawarma, Greek cauliflower bowl, orzo primavera, and a black bean and rice bowl.
