Latest news with #orzo
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Baked orzo with sweet red peppers, olives and halloumi
Baking orzo in the oven leaves you somewhere between a pasta bake and a risotto. Here, I've added punchy Tesco Finest pitted Halkidiki olives and sweet red peppers. The dish is finished with Tesco Finest halloumi, which is traditionally crafted in Cyprus and hand folded around a fresh mint leaf for an extra burst of flavour – its high melting point makes it ideal for baking. To cut through the salty cheese, I've added a zesty salsa verde. Prep 15 min Cook 45 min Serves 4 2 Tesco Finest sweet pointed red peppers 3 tbsp Tesco Finest Sicilian extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes 2 x 400g cans finely chopped tomatoes 100g Tesco Finest pitted Halkidiki olives, halved300g Tesco Finest orzo 1 x 225g Tesco Finest halloumi, sliced For the salsa verde1⁄2 bunch parsley, plus extra to serve1⁄2 bunch basil, plus extra to serve2 tsp capers, drained 1⁄2 garlic clove 1 lemon, zest and juice4 tbsp Tesco Finest Sicilian extra virgin olive oil Suggested wine pairing: Tesco Finest Provence rosé Place the peppers on a tray and grill under the highest setting for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway until blackened and blistered. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and once cool, peel off their skins, scoop out the seeds and slice into strips. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. On the hob, heat the oil in a wide, shallow ovenproof casserole dish. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and fry for 10-12 minutes or until softened. Tip in the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for 1 minute. Next add the tomatoes, olives and sliced peppers then the orzo and 300ml of water. Stir everything together and season to taste. Nestle the sliced halloumi on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes before checking. If the orzo is too al dente, return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the salsa verde into a food processor, season with salt and pepper and pulse until you have a chunky salsa. Season to taste. Drizzle the salsa over the cooked orzo and finish with a good handful of herbs. Shop the ingredients for this recipe on and discover how Tesco Finest can make your everyday taste better
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Budget-friendly recipe: one-pot orzo with peas, mushrooms and bacon
Frozen peas are endlessly versatile, nutritious and budget-friendly. They're also a great way to add more veg into a meal, and they mix well with other flavours. Because I like a properly browned mushroom, I fry them first, then remove them from the pan to mix back in later. If you're not fussy about this, you can speed up the cooking time by frying the mushrooms and onions together. For a vegetarian version of the dish, remove the bacon and opt for vegetable stock over chicken, and to make it vegan, use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Serves 4 400-500g mushrooms, depending on the pack size, sliced1 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped200g bacon lardons 1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)1 tsp dried mixed herbs 200g dried orzo 750ml vegetable or chicken stock Freshly ground black pepper 200g frozen peasHandful of parsley, finely chopped, to serve (optional)Parmesan, grated, to serve (optional) Heat a large frying pan or saucepan with a lid over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and dry fry until they've released their moisture and the liquid starts to evaporate. Drizzle in half of the oil and fry the mushrooms for a few minutes more, until they are beginning to brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside. Drizzle in the remaining oil and tip in the onions. Turn down the heat to medium-low and fry the onion for 8–10 minutes, or until softened but not golden. Mix in the bacon and turn up the heat to medium. Fry for a few minutes until the bacon is golden and starting to crisp. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Stir in the reserved mushrooms and any juices along with the tomato paste and mixed herbs. Add in the orzo and fry for a minute before adding the stock and a good seasoning of freshly ground black pepper. Put the lid on the pan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the lid to check how much liquid is left; if it's still quite soupy then keep the lid off and simmer for 2–4 minutes until the orzo is almost tender and the stock has been absorbed. If the dish starts to become too dry, it will stick to the bottom of the pan and start to burn. If this happens, add a little more water or stock – you want a small amount of liquid, but it shouldn't be swimming. Add the frozen peas and mix everything together. Cook for 2 minutes until the peas are warmed through and tender. Serve with a scattering of parsley and freshly grated parmesan, if you like. This is an edited extract from The Frozen Peas Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, photography by Mowie Kay (Murdoch Books, RRP A$39.99)
