Healthy Eating · Mediterranean · Pasta · Recipes · Vegetarian
BySam
3 Comments
This orzo pasta with roasted tomatoes, feta and olives is inspired by a very simple but delicious dish which involved baking feta and olives in a thick tomato sauce I made a few years ago. It’s a wonderful appetizer or warm dip for crusty bread and I remember at the time thinking it would be a delicious sauce for pasta. Instead of making a sauce using tinned tomatoes, I used fresh Mediterranean baby vine tomatoes.
It also occurred to me, again, that roasting or baking cheese with things is a superb idea and I should do it more often. Especially feta which is not my favourite cheese. I find the salt overpowering and the flavour in general quite one-dimensional.
I rarely add it to salad unless it’s a Greek salad, and if I do, I prefer to crumble it over to distribute the taste. The flavour and saltiness of feta work well with this dish and my baked tomato version because thetomatoes temper it and when hot out of the oven it crumbles into the pastabeautifully.
I love to add a few spoons of pesto to orzo/ rosmarinopasta. It gives the dish a load offlavour, and basil is the perfect partner with everything else going on here too.
I recently returned from a trip to South East Asia and have been craving pasta. With all these ingredients available in my fridge, this recipe came to fruition. It’s delicious and served cold as a salad too. I just tossed through roughly torn leaves such as spinach, watercress and rocket to give it more of a salady crunch. Rosmarino, also known as orzo is generally a really fantastic pasta to turn into a salad.
~cooks tips – My tomatoes were leaning on medium so I cut them in half. If they are very small you can leave them whole. I always leave the pips in olives when I cook them, I find it such a chore to de-pip them and I will never buy the ghastly ones with the pips already removed. I just keep a little bowl next to my plate when I’m eating to put them in. I love how they swell up and become juicy and plump when cooked. I used my all-time favourite calamata olives from Kloovenburg which are soaked in blackberry brine. I also added a few tablespoons of the brine because I love a splash of acidity here. You can also use balsamic or red wine vinegar.
I like a little kick of heat with this pasta so I stir in about a teaspoon of my favourite chilli sauce at the end. By chilli sauce, I mean more like an ultra-hot chilli paste. You can add it according to taste or leave it out.
If you wanted to use a more robust pasta like shells or fusilli, I would opt for making my saucier baked version to mix with this.
For a few more of my favourite cheesy baked recipes
goats cheese cigars with honey and thyme
baked ricotta with basil lemon and chilli
parma ham wrapped brie with thyme and garlic bruschetta
A delicious and easy vegetarian orzo pasta with roasted tomatoes, feta and olives. Perfect for a weeknight supper
Print Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutesmins
Cook Time:30 minutesmins
Ingredients
280gms / 1 1/2 cups rosmarino pastaorzo
150gms feta
300gms Mediterraneanvine tomatoes or other baby tomatoes1 punnet and approx. 3 cups
1/3cupkalamata olives
2 - 3Tbsof olive brineor red wine or balsamic vinegar
olive oil to drizzle - about 3 Tbsp
a few springs of fresh thyme
pepper to season
1/2tspdried chilli flakes or your favourite chilli sauce to taste stirred in at the end optional
2 - 3Tbspbasil pesto
Instructions
10Preheat the oven to 180C / 350 F
Cut the feta into small cubes and scatter in a small roasting dish with tomatoes and olives. drizzle over the brine and olive oil andseason with blackpepper. Scatter over the thyme leaves, removing a few of the leaves.
Roast for 25 - 30 minutes depending on the size of the tomatoes. Give the pan a shake during the cooking time.
While this is roasting cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in salty water. Drain and stir through the pesto and chilli.
Add the roasted mixture as soon as it comes out of the oven and serve.
Boil the orzo about 10 minutes or until it has a firm, chewy texture, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking together. Drain orzo in a colander. For the best flavor and texture, serve the orzo immediately after cooking.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and then stir in orzo. Cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally to keep orzo from clumping. Depending on thickness, orzo typically cooks in about 8-10 minutes. Drain, but do not rinse the orzo.
Boil 1/2 cups water for each cup orzo. Add 1/4 tsp salt, then the orzo and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and most of the water is absorbed, about 8 to 10 minutes.
How to Cook Orzo. The easiest way to prepare orzo is to heat a pot of salted water and add the pasta once the water begins to boil. Cook until the pasta reaches al dente, approximately 8 to 10 minutes or as the package indicates.
Cover and bring to a boil. Add orzo. Leave uncovered and let gently simmer 8-12 minutes or until cooked to your liking (8 minutes is closer to al dente). Always check your orzo along the way to see if has reached your desired doneness.
Orzo also has a higher fiber content than rice as well. Orzo does, however, have a higher carbohydrate content per serving, but not by much. Due to the higher protein and fiber content, orzo will leave you feeling fuller for longer which is helpful for those trying to lose weight.
Orzo can fit beautifully into your meals, potentially offering valuable nutrients. It comes packed with carbs, making it an energy source for your daily needs. Its whole-grain variants offer added fiber and nutrients.
Cooking with orzo is typically straightforward but still presents certain common issues. Overcooking is a frequent error, which can make the orzo mushy and unappetizing. It's best to always test it a couple of minutes before the package instructions say it should be done, as you want it to be al dente.
But when it comes to spaghetti and vermicelli, half of a 1-pound box is about 2 cups. You can also do it by weight. Generally 8 ounces of short pasta (like macaroni) is about 2 cups. Having said all that, what's generally listed on the packages/boxes of most dry pasta as the serving size is 2 ounces.
The alternative is to drain the cooked orzo, transfer it to a bowl and drizzle a scant teaspoon or so of olive oil and give it a stir to very lightly coat the grains, but use a very light hand -- this is not dressing.
Since orzo is a whole grain pasta, it offers a few health benefits. However, these health benefits make it better than other regular pasta. However, to make an orzo meal nutritious, combine it with healthy and nutritious foods like vegetables, chicken, etc.
Dubbed a pastina, or "little pasta," orzo is a versatile pasta cut and has become popular around the world. Find this rice-shaped pasta in many creations: from pasta-forward dishes and soups to vegetable-heavy orzo salads and fluffy rice-pilaf-style side dishes.
Many recipes will recommend cooking orzo to al dente, which means still firm when bitten. Overcooked pasta will get mushy and can ruin the texture of your dish.
If you use a pot that's not large enough, the water temperature will begin to drop. This will result in clumpy, mushy pasta. Additionally, this will create a higher starch-to-water ratio, which causes the pasta to stick together. In conclusion: Avoid clumpy, mushy, and sticky pasta by using the right pot!
Place the pasta in an oven-safe pan or bowl.Cover the pasta with aluminum foil then set the oven to the lowest temperature, or 220 °F (104 °C). If the heat gets up to 225 °F (107 °C), turn the heat off so the food can stay warm in the residual heat without overcooking.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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