Sweet, roast cherry tomatoes, roast garlic and fresh basil come together with perfectly cooked orzo to create a deeply flavoured, fresh, light, healthy meal which is exceptionally easy to prepare. All cooked in one pot, this meal is on the table in 45 minutes with only 5 minutes hands on time. Although I love the salty unami addition of parmesan cheese, it works equally well without, if you are looking for a vegan option.
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 (fan 180°C).
Throw the olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, basil, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and stalks of basil into a pan you can use in the oven and on the hob. Shake well and pop in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take out of the oven and remove the garlic cloves. Take the skin off the garlic, mash the soft flesh and return to the tomatoes.
Stir thoroughly, pressing down on the tomatoes to create a delicious sauce.
Add the orzo, boiling water and salt, mix well. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and finish cooking on the hob, being careful because the handle of the pan will be very hot. Bring to a rolling simmer, stirring. This helps to create a thicker sauce which will cling better to the sides of the pasta. It is ready when the orzo is cooked to your liking and it is swathed in a wonderful, fresh, tomato sauce. Please note:
– If the pasta is cooked, and there is too much liquid left, boil briskly to reduce quickly.
– If the water has disappeared and the pasta is not yet cooked, add a little more boiling water and cook until the pasta is ready.
Shred some fresh basil leaves and stir into the pasta with grated parmesan/pecorino romano.
Serve immediately with some extra grated parmesan/pecorino romano on the side, and if wished, some garlic or fresh bread and a chopped green salad.
Equipment:
Can I cook this on the hob?
Yes you can! I like to pop it in the oven, put the timer on and forget about it. However, if you don’t want to turn the oven on, you can cook this dish on the hob. The timings will be very similar but you will need to stir it from time to time to ensure the pasta does not stick to the pan.
Can you serve this dish without the cheese?
I love the salty, unami addition of parmesan/pecorino romano cheese, but fortunately, it works wonderfully well without, if you are looking for a vegan option.
Increasing the quantities:
This recipe serves 2 people. To increase the quantities you need to –
For example if you are cooking 110g pasta –