Creamy Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Orzo

Name: Creamy Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Orzo
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 250 g dried orzo; 310 g roasted red peppers, drained and sliced; 1 red onion; 2 cloves garlic; 2 cup tomato passata; 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives; 120 g goat cheese; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1 cup fresh basil leaves; 1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

This creamy roasted red pepper orzo is bright, tangy, and rich without needing heavy cream. Goat cheese melts into the tomato-pepper sauce, while Kalamata olives and fresh herbs add a savory Mediterranean finish.

Servings4 Portions

Prep Time7 Mins

Cook Time13 Mins

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

dried orzo
250 g
roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
310 g
red onion
1
garlic
2 cloves
tomato passata
2 cup
sliced Kalamata olives
0.5 cup
goat cheese
120 g
extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp
cooking salt or kosher salt
2 tsp
black pepper
0.3 tsp
fresh basil leaves
1 cup
fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp

Step-by-Step Instructions

Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions, since it will finish cooking in the sauce.

Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the orzo, rinse briefly to stop it sticking, and leave it in the colander while you prepare the sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the red onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until it begins to soften.

Add the garlic and roasted red pepper strips. Cook for another 2 minutes, just until the onion is tender and the garlic is fragrant.

Stir in the tomato passata and Kalamata olives. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.