Pork Chops with Asparagus, Tomato, and Orzo

My fiance loves pork chops, no matter how they’re prepared. Me, well I’m a little more picky. It has to be done just right: juicy, never dry, and accompanied by something a little saucy. That’s why this dish is perfect! It lets the flavor of the foods shine through on their own, and if you pair each bite of pork with a little tomato? Oh, it’s good.

Simple is better sometimes, am I right? There’s not even a lot of preparation with this one, and the whole thing should be over and done with in about 20-30 minutes.

A couple of tips:

1. Trim the woody ends off your asparagus. Nobody wants to have to chew through those. If you want it to be a little easier to eat, try cutting your asparagus in half or thirds.
2. When I say that your tomatoes should be “blistered”, I mean wrinkly, browning on some parts, and perhaps even bursting a little. It means they are juicy and roasted to perfection.
3. Make sure your pan is hot before you start searing your pork. That will ensure that it browns instead of turning grey.

And share your pictures with me! I would love to see how you made this, or any dish for that matter, and how much you love it! Find me on Facebook or Instagram @thesamanthaelaine. Now get cooking! A dish this pretty deserves to be sitting on your table pretty soon!

Pork Chops with Asparagus, Tomato, and Orzo

Print Recipe

Simple, delicious pan-seared pork chops with an easy vegetable and pasta side dish. Everything comes together in less than 30 minutes!

• Author: Samantha Elaine
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• Grapeseed oil spray
• 1 lb asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• 2 cups grape tomatoes
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta *
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 1-inch thick boneless pork chops
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with grapeseed oil. Spread out asparagus spears and grape tomatoes. Spray again with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cook for about 20-25 minutes, until asparagus is tender and tomatoes are blistered.
2. Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to package directions. After it has been drained, toss it with 1 tbsp olive oil to keep it from sticking too much.
3. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Sear them in the pan for 3-5 minutes on each side, until they are browned and cooked through.
4. Combine roasted asparagus and tomatoes with orzo, and serve with a seared pork chop.

Notes

*To make this dish gluten-free, choose gluten-free orzo pasta.

I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I do! Comments, questions, concerns? Leave them in the comments below or contact directly at me@samanthaelaine.net.

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