One of our all time favourite Deliciously Ella recipes is creamy mushroom orzo. It tastes just as comforting and delicious as a risotto but is quicker thanks to the use of orzo instead of rice. Here we have simplified it even further by baking it in the oven and adding some lentils for extra protein.
Serves : 4
Ingredients
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
200g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped (the same size as the onion)
1 tablespoon brown miso
Drizzle of olive oil
10g dried mushrooms
400ml hot water
3 cloves garlic, minced
200g orzo
1 x 400g tin coconut milk
1x 400g tin green or brown lentils, drained
2 large handfuls of spinach, finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / 430°F.
Place the red onion, mushrooms and miso into a baking tray measuring 30cm x 22cm x 5cm. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until darkened and reduced.
While the vegetables are roasting place the dried mushrooms into a jug and cover with the boiling water. Allow to soak for 5 minutes, until soft, then remove and roughly chop, reserving the water.
Remove the mushrooms and onions from the oven and add the garlic, orzo, coconut milk, dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid to the baking dish.
Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and stir through the drained lentils and finely chopped spinach, allowing it to wilt in the heat of the pasta.
Serve while piping hot, topped with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some freshly ground black pepper.
