Roasted garlic and asparagus with orzo pasta

orzo pasta, cooked (enough to feed whoever you are feeding)

one bunch asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

10 garlic cloves, unpeeled

extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon*

salt and freshly ground black pepper

12-ish sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, thinly sliced and wiped of most of the oil

1/3 C chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil.  Toss the asparagus and garlic cloves with the olive oil and lemon juice on the lined baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 10-15 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so the vegetables don’t char.

Remove from oven and push roasted cloves out of their skins.  Discard skins.  Toss asparagus, garlic, and the juices  from the baking sheet with the orzo.  Mix in sun-dried tomatoes and parsley.  Season to taste.

*I didn’t, but next time, I will include the zest of the 1/2 lemon when I toss in the tomatoes and parsley.  I think it would have given the dish more pop.