Baked orzo with white beans, courgette & tomato

Name: Baked orzo with white beans, courgette & tomato
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 tbsp Essential Olive Oil; 600 g Essential Courgettes, trimmed and cut into 1.5-2cm slices; 1 tsp sea salt flakes; 1 dried oregano or Italian mixed herbs; 250 g orzo; 660 g jar Bold Bean Co Organic White Beans, undrained; 2 400g cans Essential Chopped Tomatoes; 270 g pack Essential Italian Mozzarella, drained; 40 g bread crusts, 1 day old; 40 g Essential Parmigiano Reggiano, roughly chopped; Basil leaves, to garnish

Elly Curshen's dish is a cross between pasta bake and risotto. Filling and tasty, it’s great for teens to learn to make, or to feed a hungry family

5 out of 5 stars(2) Rate this recipe

Source of fibre2 of your 5 a day

Serves8
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook50 mins
Total time1 hr 5 mins

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Ingredients

4 tbsp Essential Olive Oil
600g Essential Courgettes, trimmed and cut into 1.5-2cm slices
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 dried oregano or Italian mixed herbs
250g orzo
660g jar Bold Bean Co Organic White Beans, undrained
2 400g cans Essential Chopped Tomatoes
270g pack Essential Italian Mozzarella, drained
40g bread crusts, 1 day old
40g Essential Parmigiano Reggiano, roughly chopped
Basil leaves, to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Pour 3-4 tbsp of the oil into a 22x28cm ovenproof dish. Tip the courgettes into the dish, season with the salt and plenty of black pepper, sprinkle over the herbs and toss well. Put in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
Add the orzo, the whole jar of beans (no need to drain or rinse them) and the tomatoes to the dish. Stir well. Spread the mixture gently into an even layer. Tear the mozzarella into bitesized pieces and distribute evenly across the surface. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes
Blitz the bread crusts and Parmigiano Reggiano in a food processor to make cheesy breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp oil
Remove the foil from the dish. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the top and bake for a final 10 minutes, until the top is browned and crisp. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then serve topped with a few basil leaves and plenty of black pepper. A simple gem leaf salad, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper, would make an ideal accompaniment.

Cook’s tip

If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop the bread crusts, or use fresh or dried shop-bought breadcrumbs. Finely grate the cheese before combining it with the breadcrumbs and oil as above