Baked Feta Orzo

close up shot of baked feta orzo in large pan

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5 from 2 votes

Orzo wrapped in an ultra-creamy baked feta sauce - this truly is what easy dinners are made of!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

Large Oven-Safe Pan (for baking feta/combining everything)
Large Pot & Wooden Spoon (for cooking orzo)
Sieve & Large Bowl (for draining orzo)
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients

1x 200g/7oz block of Feta (see notes)
3 tbsp Olive Oil
300g / 10oz Baby Plum or Cherry Tomatoes, halved
200g / 7oz Asparagus, woody ends removed then sliced into 3 or 4 chunks (see notes)
2 cups / 400g uncooked Orzo
100g / 3.5oz Baby Spinach, roughly diced
1/2 small bunch of Fresh Basil, finely diced (15g/0.5oz)
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Chives
2 heaped tbsp / 2oz / 60g Mascarpone, (see notes)
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Add the feta to the centre of a large oven-safe pan and drizzle over 1 tbsp oil. Place in the oven at 200C/390F for 8 minutes.
Take it out and scatter the asparagus and tomatoes around it. Drizzle them with 2 tbsp oil and sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper. Place everything back in the oven for another 12-15 minutes or until the feta turns golden around the edges and is very soft right through the centre. The tomatoes should have softened and wilted a little, with the asparagus fork tender.
When you put the feta back in the oven, add the orzo to a large pot of salted water and cook until al dente. Drain in a sieve over a large bowl to collect all of the excess starchy water.
Use a fork to mash the feta until smooth, then stir in the orzo until everything is combined. Stir in the spinach and 1/2 cup of the starchy water until the spinach wilts and you've created a smooth and creamy sauce. You can toss in more starchy water a splash at a time if you need to.
To finish, stir through basil, chives and 2 heaped tbsp mascarpone, then check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Go easy with the salt, but black pepper is encouraged. Serve up and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Feta - Try and grab a good-quality block of Greek feta. I usually go for 'Attis' Greek feta cheese, which turns out velvety smooth every time. Also, make sure it's not low-fat, you need the full fat for the best flavour!

b) Asparagus - The asparagus I use is typically quite fine, so it doesn't take long to cook through. If you've only got thick stems of asparagus, consider slicing it more finely or baking it with the feta at the start (just use your best judgement). In either case, the asparagus should be a touch al dente, as it'll carry on cooking as you create the sauce with the orzo.

c) Starchy Pasta Water - This is a key ingredient in creating a smooth and creamy sauce, so don't discard it! I recommend using a little less water than you usually would to boil pasta, just so it ends up nice and starchy. I usually do around 5 cups of water for 2 cups of orzo.

d) Mascarpone - This helps create an even creamier sauce and mellows out the rich flavour of the feta. I highly recommend using it, but the dish is still great without it.

e) Oven-Safe Pan - I find this easiest to make in a pan, just so you can easily stir in the orzo. If you don't have a large oven-safe pan just use a baking dish.

f) Creamy Texture - The starchy water will help create the creamy sauce. However, if you find it still a little grainy I recommend adding the pan to low heat and firmly stirring to melt and smooth any lumps. Again, just continue stirring in my starchy water until you reach a creamy texture.

g) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4.

Nutrition