How to make the bacon for the BLT Pesto Orzo Bowl?

First things first, get your bacon ready to go! I personally love laying bacon slices on a baking sheet and throwing them into a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes (or until your desired crispiness). It’s relatively mess-free doing it this way and honestly very convenient. You can lay aluminum foil or parchment paper down first to make it even easier to clean up! Make sure to add them as a single layer on the baking sheet and don’t overlap them. Once they are finished and perfectly crispy, transfer to a paper towel to allow that excess grease to drain. Once it has cooled you can crumble it up and it’ll be ready to use!

How to prep the rest of the BLT Pesto Orzo Bowl:

The rest of the prep is pretty easy! Boil some water and add in the orzo. Cook according to package instructions and then rinse under cold water to help stop the cooking. Add this to a large bowl, drizzle with some olive oil and stir to make sure it doesn’t stick together. You could do this in advance as well.

Next up is some chopping: cherry tomatoes, spinach, and the mozzarella pearls. Grab that lemon and pesto as well and we’re good to go here!

Using BLT Pesto Orzo Bowl for leftovers/meal prep:

This is such a great option for meal prep! I recommend leaving the bacon out on the side and adding in separately if you’re keeping in the fridge for meal prep to keep more of the crispiness. I also like adding a squeeze of lemon juice to the leftovers right before eating to brighten it up!

Option to Roast the Tomatoes!

One thing I like to do every now and then when I make this bowl is to roast the tomatoes! It adds a different depth of flavour and texture. You could also use any variety of tomato here – just make sure to chop them up into bite size pieces for easier eating.