Dinner with Rukmini
Browse all of the recipes in Rukmini Iyer’s cookbooks by ingredient.
All-in-one Orzo With Baked Feta, Tomatoes and Olives
This sensational yet simple all-in-one pasta bake brings together orzo, sweet cherry tomatoes, plump olives and basil, topped with an irresistible slab of salty, creamy feta.
Introduction
This is an update on one of my favourite Green Roasting Tin recipes, a really simple dish of baked orzo with fresh cherry tomatoes. Here, I add in a big square of feta to bake on top of the pasta, along with olives for a briny hit of flavour – all your food groups in one go. It’s perfect for a light dinner on a summer evening.
Ingredients
| 200g | orzo |
| 450ml | boiling vegetable stock |
| 300g | baby plum or cherry tomatoes, halved |
| 50g | olives, pitted and halved |
| 200g | feta cheese |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| Couple of handfuls | fresh basil leaves |
| freshly ground black pepper | |
| To serve: | |
|---|---|
| extra virgin olive oil | |
| chilli flakes (optional) |
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas 6.
Put the orzo into a medium roasting tin, pour over the boiling stock and stir, then top with the tomatoes and olives.
Place the block of feta cheese in the middle of the dish, then drizzle over the olive oil, a scatter of fresh basil leaves (reserve some for later) and a good grind of freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
Carefully remove the baked feta with a fish slice and give the orzo a good mix with a wooden spoon before serving, then replace the feta as pictured. Scatter over the reserved basil leaves and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a scatter of chilli flakes. Once cooked, let the dish stand for a few minutes before serving hot.
