Tomato Italian Stew with Orzo

Name: Tomato Italian Stew with Orzo
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 zucchini; 1 eggplant; 3 tomatoes; 4 king oyster mushrooms; 1/2 can tomato paste; 4 homemade meatballs; 1 package orzo; Italian seasoning, to taste; Salt, to taste; Pepper, to taste; Crushed red pepper, to taste

Mia蔬食餐桌 @cook_6883420

After simmering tomatoes with vegetables, this dish pairs perfectly with rice or pasta. It was part of a Christmas dinner I wanted to share but never had the chance. With the New Year approaching, if you're looking to try some international cuisine, give this a go. You can swap out the orzo and make it a stew to enjoy with rice. I'll share a meatball recipe later; I'm still perfecting the ingredients and ratios. I had amazing meatballs at Uncle Q's recently and can't stop thinking about them. I'll keep working on it. If you like this, don't forget to follow me for more vegetarian recipes shared periodically. 😄

Mia蔬食餐桌 @cook_6883420

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Ingredients

1zucchini
1eggplant
3tomatoes
4king oyster mushrooms
1/2 cantomato paste
4homemade meatballs
1 packageorzo
Italian seasoning, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper, to taste

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Steps

1

Cut all ingredients into chunks and dry-fry them in a pot until they are golden and fragrant.
2

Mix the eggplant and king oyster mushrooms with tomato paste and simmer, then add the zucchini.
3

Add the tomato chunks and sauté until soft, then add them to the pot. Season a bit more heavily at this stage, as the orzo will dilute the flavors when added later.
4

Add the orzo directly to the pot, stirring constantly and adding water as needed. Be careful not to burn the bottom. I use a method of half-simmering and half-stir-frying. The orzo isn't pre-cooked, but you can try parboiling it first for quicker cooking. Keep the heat low and add water as needed to prevent burning. Cook until the orzo is al dente.
5

Since I previously made meatballs, I added them before serving. Once plated, it's ready to enjoy. If you like it spicy, add some Tabasco when serving. 👍