Description
A comforting and easy one-pot dish perfect for a quick weeknight meal, featuring tender orzo pasta cooked in a rich tomato sauce infused with garlic, chilli, and fresh parsley. Topped with optional grated parmesan or a vegetarian alternative for added flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 600g tomatoes, chopped
- 400g orzo
- 800ml vegetable stock
- Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
- Grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Warm the olive or rapeseed oil in a large saucepan or frying pan over medium heat.
- Sauté the onion: Add the finely chopped red onion and cook for 4-6 minutes until softened but not browned, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Add garlic and chilli: Stir in the finely grated garlic and chopped chilli, cooking for an additional 1 minute to release their flavors and soften them.
- Cook tomatoes: Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until they start to break down, creating a fresh sauce base.
- Add orzo: Stir in the dry orzo pasta, mixing it thoroughly with the tomato mixture.
- Pour in vegetable stock: Pour 800ml of vegetable stock over the orzo and tomato mixture, stirring to combine everything evenly.
- Simmer and cook orzo: Allow the mixture to cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the orzo becomes tender. Add a few tablespoons of water if the pan gets too dry before the pasta is cooked.
- Add parsley: Stir in three-quarters of the chopped parsley to infuse fresh herb flavor throughout the dish.
- Serve: Dish the orzo into bowls and sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top. Add a grating of parmesan or vegetarian alternative if desired to finish.
Notes
- Use either olive oil or rapeseed oil as both provide a mild flavor suitable for cooking the aromatics.
- Deseeding the chilli reduces its heat, but you can leave seeds in if you prefer a spicier dish.
- If you want a vegan version, omit the parmesan or use a vegan cheese alternative.
- Stirring occasionally during cooking prevents the orzo from sticking and helps even cooking.
- You can add a splash of water if the dish begins to dry out before the orzo is fully cooked.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: one-pot, tomato orzo, easy dinner, vegetarian, quick meal, pasta recipe
