Baked Parmesan and pea orzo
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. 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
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 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
Method
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
- 6 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 onion, finely chopped
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
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 400g of orzo
Pour in the white wine and reduce until almost fully evaporated, then transfer to a roasting or baking dish
- 100ml of dry white wine
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
- 700ml of vegetable stock, hot
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
- 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
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
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
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
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