Baked Vegetable Orzo
Enjoy this unique rice like pasta baked in a rich tomato sauce with a medley of chopped vegetables. Delicious as a main course on its own with crumbled feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and a crisp green salad.
4
20 minutes
30 minutes +
Stove top cooking & oven 180ºC
Ingredients
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200g orzo pasta
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Medley of Vegetables
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2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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2 cloves garlic- finely chopped
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1 red onion- finely chopped
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2 stalks of celery- finely sliced
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Handful of green beans- trimmed and sliced
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1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
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1 can of cold water- using the chopped tomato tin
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Seasonings
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Sea salt
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Coarsely ground black pepper
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Garnish
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Feta cheese- crumbled
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Few cherry tomatoes- halved
Instructions
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Make vegetable sauce:
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01 Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large oven proof pan with a lid, deep enough to take all the ingredients. When hot add the chopped onions and sauté until tender. Now add the garlic, celery, green beans, chopped tomatoes, 1 x can cold water and seasonings. Bring to simmering point, cover with the lid and place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes or so. Remove from the oven.
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Complete cooking:
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02 Add the orzo and stir. Replace the lid and replace the pan into a the oven and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo cooked.
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Serve:
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03 Check the seasoning for a final time and take to the table.
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Garnish:
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04 Serve hot with a little extra olive oil, crumbled feta and a few cherry tomatoes.
Notes
I have kept the vegetable medley quite simple, so do play around and add other vegetables if you so wish; such as diced carrot, peas etc. As with all orzo based recipes, this dish can be cooked either on top of the stove or in the oven. Both methods work well but I prefer the oven as I believe you obtain a more even cook - and of course, frees you up to do something else whilst it is cooking!
