All you need is one baking dish and some (hands-off) oven time to get this dinner on the table! Leeks (or use onion) and broccoli get roasted in a baking dish until lightly browned, then mixed with orzo, some spices, and water and baked until that pasta is perfectly cooked. Feta gets stirred in towards the end and it all gets topped with melty cheddar cheese.
Ingredient Highlight
Broccoli! This mighty cruciferous veggie is packed full of nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron and calcium. It’s also loaded with antioxidant compounds like sulforaphane, kaempferol, and quercetin. Plus, it’s large tree-like flowery heads absorb sauces extremely well, making it one of my favorite veggies for things like stir-fry’s and anything with a sauce or dressing!
Servings 6 People
Prep Time 5 minutes 
Cook Time 1 hour Ingredients
- 1 leek tough dark green end trimmed off, sliced into ½-inch rounds or half moons
- 1 lb bag frozen broccoli florets (about 5 cups)*
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt divided
- 1 lb orzo
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- * Easily use 5 cups fresh broccoli florets – they will cook faster than frozen, about 10-15 minutes. You could also substitute broccoli with another veggie or a mix of veggies (cauliflower, bell pepper, fennel, mushrooms, etc)
- Note: if you have any leftover spiced seeds or just simple salted/roasted seeds, they are delicious on top of this pasta!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F or 425F convection. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, add the leek, broccoli, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to coat then spread into an even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is cooked and beginning to char in some spots, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400F. Add the orzo, water, fennel seed, black pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to evenly combine and do your best to evenly distribute the orzo, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil, add the feta, and give everything a gentle stir to mix. Bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered.
- Top with grated cheese, and bake for 3 more minutes or until the cheese is melted. If you want the cheese to be a little crispy, you can hit it under the broiler on high for a couple minutes towards the end.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with plenty of black pepper!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Slice 1 leek into ½-inch rounds or half moons
- Grate 2 cups cheddar cheese
- Bake the broccoli and leek
Substitutions:
- To make dairy-free, you can skip the feta cheese and just add ¼-½ teaspoon more salt. Use a vegan cheese alternative for the topping.
- To make gluten-free, use a gluten-free pasta, though the cooking times may vary so use your judgment. You could also make this Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bake instead!
- Use one chopped yellow onion in place of the leek.
- I think any tiny pasta shape would work (elbows, shells, etc…)
- You can substitute more cheddar or parmesan cheese for the feta.
- Use any sharp melty grated cheese in place of cheddar (fontina, gouda, mozzarella, etc…)
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This bake tends to get pretty mushy as leftovers as a heads up. It helps alot to add some crunch on top like a fennel slaw or pickled red onions or crunchy toasted seeds or nuts.
- Warm it up in the microwave until warmed through. Top with a squeeze of lemon and lots of herbs to bright it up a bit.
- Top with a fried egg!
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