Cheesy Orzo & Garden Veggies

This uses gruyere cheese, which I had never had before. It's delicious! I felt like this was kind of an adult version of mac & cheese and it was so good. An excellent side dish for sure!

4 tbsp butter, divided
1 large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small zucchinis, diced
1 c halved cherry tomatoes
2 c uncooked whole wheat orzo
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 c shredded gruyere cheese
2 tbsp chopped chives
salt/pepper

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a medium skillet. Once the foaming starts to subside, add the minced shallots and sauté 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the zucchini to the pan, along with a pinch of salt and pepper and continue to sauté until it starts to brown on both sides, 6 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and sauté another minute.

In the meantime, cook the orzo until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water and drain the rest. Add orzo to the sautéed veggies.

Add the cheese, fire-roasted tomatoes and remaining two tbsp butter. Toss to combine. Taste and salt accordingly. Add a little bit of the pasta water to create a thin sauce if you desire. Serve orzo dish garnished with chopped chives.

Original recipe found here.