A one-pot orzo wonder
As many wonderful dishes, this one-pot orzo pasta wins you over with its simplicity and clarity of flavour. It is a delight to your tastebuds as much as to your busy/tired/hungry self, as this dish is super quick to make, requires only one pot and a chopping board (you can eat it straight from the pan to save time and energy on washing up). And if that wasn’t enough to make you its number one fan, the plate of this pasta generously dressed with fragrant olive oil is bound to transport you to a beautiful mediterranean afternoon in the sun, unless you are already there as you are eating it.
Ingredients
Feeds 2 (or a very hungry 1)
a generous glug of cooking olive oil
2 ripe fragrant tomatoes, cubed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp of capers, whole or chopped
120-150g of orzo pasta
250-300g of stock or water
juice of 1/4 lemon and zest of 1/2 lemon
a generous pinch of chilli flakes
1 tsp of dried Italian herbs
Parmesan or nutritional yeast (to taste)
a drizzle of good olive oil
salt and freshly cracked pepper
Place everything in a pot up to the Parmesan, and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes until the orzo is soft and the whole dish acquires a pleasantly creamy and sticky but still runny texture. Switch off the heat and let rest of 5 minutes. Then stir through some Parmesan or nutritional yeast (if you’d like a vegan option), and serve with a generous drizzle of good olive oil, and extra zesting of lemon, and a dollop of basil pesto. Season to you taste with (loads of) black pepper.