Mediterranean feelings at the push of a button: This gratinated one pot orzo pasta is prepared in no time at all, tastes wonderfully aromatic and makes you want to eat Sea. The recipe.
Fancy a culinary journey into Mediterranean spheres? This creamy one pot orzo pasta makes it possible. It is prepared in no time at all, needs only a few ingredients and tastes like a holiday in the home kitchen.
Orzo – the undercover pasta
The star of the Blitz recipe: Orzo. He – or rather she – gives the impression of being an innocent grain of rice – but connoisseurs know: “Orzo” or “Risi”, as the product is called in Italy, or “Kritharaki”, as it is called in Greece, belongs to the pasta family. Orzo Pasta doesn’t just seem to be on the road as an undercover agent in terms of form. Because “Orzo” means “barley” – even though it is actually a durum wheat product.
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But it doesn’t matter whether it’s orzo, risi or kritharaki, whether barley or durum wheat: orzo pasta is versatile, delicious and scores with its unique texture, which makes every one-pot dish a creamy risotto-style treat. Orzo cooks much faster in comparison – and speeds up the preparation process even more.
Enough reasons for the orzo pasta – here is the recipe.
Recipe for a baked one pot orzo pasta
Ingredients for two servings
- 1 small onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 medium red chili pepper
- 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 handfuls of fresh basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil, virgin
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 200g Orzo
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 400ml vegetable broth
- Salt pepper
- 30g Parmesan
- 125g mozzarella
- Optional for serving: 100g baby spinach
preparation
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Halve, deseed and thinly slice the chili pepper. Wash the basil, shake dry and pluck finely. Wash and halve the tomatoes. Drain the mozzarella and cut into slices.
- Heat some olive oil in an ovenproof pan. Add garlic and onions and sauté. Then add the chili and tomato paste to the pan and sauté.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and some sugar and sauté until the tomatoes soften slightly.
- Add the orzo pasta to the pan and sauté as well. Deglaze with broth.
- Bring everything to a boil, then stir well. Simmer for about 8 minutes over medium heat.
- Season with salt and pepper. Then fold in the parmesan and basil.
- Scatter the sliced mozzarella over the finished pasta. Continue cooking in the closed pan for about 10 minutes over low heat.
- Meanwhile wash the spinach and shake dry. Garnish the finished dish with this and serve.
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