PUTTING THE ZING INTO SPRING
ORZO, FETA AND TOMATO TRAYBAKE
Along with rigatoni, spaghettini and casarecce, orzo is one of my most-used kinds of pasta. Special mention also goes to rachette (tennis racket-shaped pasta that my kids love). Orzo has such a pleasing texture with an olive oil-rich tomato sauce. This is a frequently cooked dinner all made in a tray. Roasted onions go sweet and jammy, then tinned tomatoes are added and roasted until their flavour intensifies, and more jammy, sticky flavour builds up. Then, when the orzo and liquid are added, all the flavour is swept up off the tray and a broken-up slab of feta tops it all. It’s a very hands-off, pleasing dinner.
Serves 4
4 RED ONIONS, PEELED AND CUT INTO THIN WEDGES 1 RED CHILLI
1 RED PEPPER, DESEEDED AND CHOPPED
1 HEAD OF GARLIC, CUT ACROSS THE MIDDLE
1 X 400G TIN PLUM TOMATOES
1 TSP NIGELLA SEEDS 1 TSP CORIANDER SEEDS, CRUSHED
250G ORZO
200G FETA OR VEGAN FETA-STYLE CHEESE
A SMALL BUNCH OF CORIANDER, LEAVES PICKED A SMALL BUNCH OF PARSLEY, LEAVES PICKED 2 TBSP TOASTED PINE NUTS
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan oven) gas mark 8. Put the red onion wedges into a large deep-sided baking tray with the red chilli, the deseeded and chopped red pepper and the garlic.
2 Roast the vegetables in the hot oven for 20 minutes until the onions are cooked and the edges of the peppers are beginning to char.
3 Drain the tin of plum tomatoes and keep the juice. After the onions and peppers have been cooking for 20 minutes, put the tomatoes into the tray with the nigella seeds and crushed coriander seeds, then put it all back into the oven for another 20 minutes so the tomatoes can roast and intensify.
4 Take the tray out of the oven and use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to break up the tomatoes. Take the garlic out and squeeze it from its papery skins into the tray – discard the skins.
5 Add the reserved tomato juice, the orzo and 750ml freshly boiled water and then dot the top with the feta or vegan fetastyle cheese. Return it to the oven for 20 minutes, stirring it all halfway through, until the orzo is cooked.
6 Take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle with the coriander and parsley leaves and the toasted pine nuts before serving.
Tomato purée joins up with sour/sweet tamarind to make a flavour blanket