I’m pretty good at making recipe substitutions, based on what I have on hand.

I tried this NYT Cooking recipe for “Lemony Orzo with Asparagus and Garlic Bread Crumbs” a couple of weeks ago. (I’ve actually made it twice now.) It first caught my eye on Instagram. It’s meatless, tasty and light. It could be a nice side dish, but we had it as the main course. Two thumbs up!

I didn’t have any orzo, so I substituted another small pasta (elbows). I had no fresh mint, parsley or dill, so I used basil.