Carole Food.

This is hands down the best orzo dish I’ve ever made! It’s tomato based with a smoky garlic taste and then it's topped with feta that’s been marinated in extra virgin olive oil and chopped basil. 

If you’re looking for another quick tomatoey dish, be sure to try out this Tomato, Chickpea and Coconut Curry.

Why you’ll love this dish

• One pot - some of my favourite recipes are one pot dishes. I'd say this is like a quick version of a risotto, it's ready in 20 minutes!
• Comforting - this is a really comforting dish that’s perfect to eat out of a bowl with a spoon, in front of the TV. 

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Red pepper: this can be substituted with orange/yellow pepper, not green though… If you prefer, you can also add an onion instead of the pepper. But I like the extra flavour and nutrients of the pepper - they have lots of vitamin C!

Garlic: this dish wants a lot of garlic!! 

Tomato puree: provides flavour and colour to the dish. 

Smoked paprika and chilli powder: gives a smoky and spicy flavour, but if you don’t like spice then leave out the chilli powder. 

Orzo: a type of small pasta that works well as a subsitute for risotto style dishes! It's also great as a alternative pasta salads.

What to serve this with? 

You don’t need to serve this with anything! But a green salad or some sautéed greens wouldn’t go amiss… 

Instructions 

Fry the pepper 

In a medium sized sauce pan over a medium heat, add the oil then the red pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir regularly. Also if you prefer, butter instead of oil would be very delicious here!

Add the garlic, tomato puree and spices 

Add the garlic and tomato puree, cook for 2 minutes. Stir it often so the garlic doesn’t burn! Add the smoked paprika and chilli powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the orzo and stir to coat in the spices. 

Add the cream and water 

Stir in the double cream, salt and water. The amount of water needed will really depend on the size of your pot and the heat. So keep an eye on it and add more water if needed! Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. You’ll need to stir it regularly, especially towards the end of the cooking, because the orzo easily sticks to the bottom of the pan. So keep an eye on it! 

Marinate the feta 

I’m not really sure how long you have to marinate something for it to be considered ‘marinated’ but we’re going to go with the time it takes for the orzo to cook! Place the feta into a small bowl then top with the extra virgin olive oil, basil, chilli flakes and some freshly cracked black pepper. Sometimes I like to double the quantity of marinated feta because it’s also very delicious the next day. 

And that’s it! 

Once the orzo is fully cooked and the liquid mostly absorbed, it’s ready! Top with the feta and enjoy!