Roasted cherry tomato & fennel seed orzo
- Helena Busiakiewicz
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Serves 4
Easy
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 50 mins
A star rating of 5 out of 5.16 ratingsRate
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This is a great hands-off recipe, so you can get on with other things while it cooks. Add olives, capers or pesto, or use as a base for our three twists, below
Vegetarian
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Complete the dish
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This recipe features three easy twists for serving, so you can bulk up the meal or add new flavours – scroll to find the additions below.
Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
400g cherry tomatoes
-
2 shallots
roughly sliced
-
3 garlic cloves
unpeeled
-
½ tsp chilli flakes
-
2 tsp fennel seeds
-
3 tbsp olive oil
-
300g orzo
-
600ml hot vegetable stock
-
4-5 tbsp mascarpone
or crème fraîche
-
50g parmesan
or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
-
15g flat-leaf parsley
roughly chopped
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Nutrition: Per serving
- kcal498
- fat21g
- saturates8g
- carbs60g
- sugars4g
- fibre4g
- protein16g
- salt0.67g
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Method
-
step 1
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the tomatoes, shallots and garlic in a deep baking tray, then sprinkle over the chilli flakes and fennel seeds, and season well. Drizzle over the olive oil. Roast for 25 mins until the tomatoes are blistered and jammy, and the shallots are slightly charred. Squeeze over the roasted garlic.
-
step 2
Stir through the orzo, then pour over the stock. Cover tightly and bake for 25 mins, then stir in the mascarpone, parmesan and parsley. Once completely cool, will keep chilled for up to three days (see tip below).
Helena's tip
If you want to prepare this ahead, reheat in a pan over a medium heat along with a splash of water until piping hot (or do this in short bursts in the microwave). You can also stir through a few more dollops of mascarpone, if you like.
One base, three twists
Chickpea & chilli drizzle
Melt 30g salted butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry 2 grated garlic cloves, ½ tsp chilli flakes and a 540g jar of chickpeas (along with the liquid from the jar) for 8-10 mins until the liquid has reduced and become creamy. Season with black pepper, then serve on top of or mixed into the orzo.
Cumin & garlic sizzled courgettes
Halve 2 courgettes lengthways, then slice. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the courgettes for 6-8 mins until deeply golden and caramelised on both sides. Grate in 2 garlic cloves and sprinkle over 2 tsp cumin seeds and some seasoning. Cook for 1 min more before squeezing in the juice of 1 lemon. Serve on top of the orzo.
Crispy chicken thighs
Put 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in a bowl, then drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and season well. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat a cast iron or heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken, skin-side down, for 4-5 mins until deeply golden. Turn the chicken thighs over so they’re skin-side up, then transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 20 mins until cooked through. Serve with the orzo.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2026
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A star rating of 5 out of 5.16 ratings
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