Baked Parmesan And Pea Orzo Recipe
Planning a dinner party involves balancing cooking methods and timings, so utilising the oven for some dishes helps to ease prep and last-minute cooking.
- 6 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 400g of orzo
- 100ml of dry white wine
- 700ml of vegetable stock, hot
- 150g of frozen peas, or fresh if in season
- 30g of unsalted butter
- 80g of Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- 1 lemon, zested, plus 2 tbsp juice
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat 4 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the orzo and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted
- Pour in the white wine and reduce until almost fully evaporated, then transfer to a roasting or baking dish
- Add the hot stock and stir well. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until the orzo is just tender and still slightly loose, stirring halfway through
- Remove from the oven and immediately stir through the peas, butter, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice. Stir vigorously to emulsify – the texture should become glossy and creamy
- Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes to gently set the top while keeping the interior soft and spoonable
- Meanwhile, mix the parsley with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and set aside
- To serve, scatter over the parsley, extra Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper. Great served with asparagus, a radish salad, grilled courgette ribbons and a focaccia and anchovy dipping oil
Our baked orzo uses the same ingredients as you would for risotto – wine, stock, butter, Parmesan and sweet peas – but is baked in the oven rather than being cooked on the stove. A note if using fresh peas: once the peas are podded, briefly simmer the pods in the hot vegetable stock to infuse a sweet pea flavour
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat 4 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent Pour in the white wine and reduce until almost fully evaporated, then transfer to a roasting or baking dish Add the hot stock and stir well.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until the orzo is just tender and still slightly loose, stirring halfway through Remove from the oven and immediately stir through the peas, butter, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice. Stir vigorously to emulsify – the texture should become glossy and creamy
Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes to gently set the top while keeping the interior soft and spoonable To serve, scatter over the parsley, extra Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of black pepper.
Great served with asparagus, a radish salad, grilled courgette ribbons and a focaccia and anchovy dipping oil