Summer Meatballs And Yellow Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups orzo
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 bag frozen meatballs (about 40 meatballs, 1 1/4lbs)
- 1 T bottled minced garlic
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) Italian-style stewed tomatoes
- 1 small can (8oz) Italian-style tomato sauce
- 1 T dried oregano
- 2 medium yellow squash (or a 10-oz pkg of frozen yellow squash, thawed and well drained)
- 1 can (14-oz) artichoke hearts packed in water
- 1 can (3.8-oz) pitted sliced black olives
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Boil water (Or use a combination of water & chicken broth for extra flavor) and cook orzo until tender, 7 or 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-low heat.
- Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- While the onion cooks, place the meatballs in a microwave-safe dish and microwave 2 minutes on high, to begin defrosting.
- Add the garlic to the pot and continue to cook, stirring, 1 minute more.
- Raise the heat to medium.
- Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and oregano. Stir to mix and let cook while you slice the squash into 1/8-inch circles.
- Add the squash and partially-defrosted meatballs to the pot and stir to coat with sauce.
- Raise the heat to high, cover, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Drain the artichokes and coarsely chop.
- Drain the olives and add them, along with the artichokes, to the pot. Let boil about 5 minutes to blend the flavors, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking.
- Drain the orzo, season to taste with black pepper (& maybe a little lemon zest), and ladle onto serving plates. Top with meatballs and sauce, and serve garnished with feta.
