Stephanie Hafferty reveals how to make this delicious one-pan dish with orzo and feta
I first came across this baked orzo and feta dish when my daughter made it for me. Impressed with the delicious creaminess and ease of cooking, it’s become a firm favourite in our house. I love how versatile it is, lending itself to most of the veg and herbs I grow here in the garden.
The orzo soaks up the flavours as it cooks, and the feta becomes gooey and creamy, creating an indulgent tasting sauce.
This one-dish meal can go straight from the oven to the table, saving on washing up. Any leftovers make a delicious lunch the next day.
Tip: Feta is a salty cheese so it is best to go easy on the salt seasoning during cooking.
Feeds 2 hungry people
Ingredients
- 250g orzo
- 200g cherry tomatoes (or larger tomatoes, diced)
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium red onions
- 1 courgette
- 1 sweet pepper
- 1 teacup measure of cooked broadbeans
- 200g block of feta
- olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 500ml hot vegetable stock or water, plus extra if needed
- sea salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh seasonal herbs eg: oregano, basil, parsley, mint
- Oven proof dish approx 20x35cm
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°Fan/200°C/Gas mark 6
- Total cooking time: 45 minutes
- Chop the onions, courgette and sweet pepper into bite-sized pieces. Place in the oven proof dish with the garlic and tomatoes. Season with pepper and a little salt.
- Drizzle olive oil over and mix to coat the veg. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes to soften the veg and release the flavours.
- Next, add the lemon juice and zest, 3 tbsp of herbs, orzo pasta and 500 ml of hot water (or stock). Stir to combine everything and place back into the oven for a further 20 minutes.
- The orzo should have absorbed most of the liquid and be tender to the bite. Add a little extra hot water if needed.
- Place the feta in the centre of the dish, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and sprinkle over 1 tbsp herbs.
- Place in the oven for 10 more minutes.
- Mix the feta through the veg and orzo and serve. (Or serve with the feta intact if you prefer.)
- I like this with warm crusty bread popped in the oven with the orzo bake for the final 10 minutes, and a green salad.
Veggies: Veg which works well includes: aubergine, spinach, chard, peas, asparagus, summer squash, winter squash, leek.
Tip: When boiling the kettle to make the stock/boiling water, pour an extra 100ml or so into a thermos flask. This saves having to boil the kettle again if the dish needs a little extra liquid.
Extras: Add a drained tin of chickpeas or a handful of olives to the dish at the same time as the orzo
Vegan: to make this dish vegan, use a vegan feta
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