Greek-ish Orzo with Garlicky-Ghee Prawns
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Greek-ish Orzo with Garlicky-Ghee Prawns
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Author:
OMGhee
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
545
We’ve taken one of our favourite Greek summer dishes, orzo with tomatoes and prawns, and given it a bit of an OMGhee makeover, swapping ghee for olive oil (very un-Greek, please excuse us!) and adding plenty of green veg for extra goodness, colour and flavour.
The result is garlicky, ghee-y plump prawns nestled in toasty, slippery orzo with enough punctuation from that lovely veg to call this a true one-pot meal. After a quick bit of prep and browning, the orzo basically cooks itself, making this dish weeknight dinner gold.
Taste this, have a sip of something cool and crisp, then close your eyes and picture yourself in a colourful taverna on a Greek island.
Ingredients
- FOR THE PRAWNS
-
1 Tablespoon OMGhee, melted
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt flakes or ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 250g raw prawn meat (without shells)
- FOR THE ORZO
-
2 Tablespoons OMGhee
- 1¼ cups (250g) orzo, also called risoni
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 4 small (400g) zucchini, trimmed and sliced into ½ cm thick rounds
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano, or 3 Tablespoons fresh oregano
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- One punnet (250g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cups (750ml) vegetable stock (stock powder mixed with water is fine)
- 1 cup (150g) baby frozen peas
- 150g soft feta crumbled
- 1 teaspoon salt flakes or ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Large handful fresh oregano or basil, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, quartered
Directions
Start by marinating the prawns. This is optional, but highly recommended for an extra layer of garlicky-ghee-y goodness. It only takes a few minutes. Simply whisk together the melted ghee, lemon juice, garlic, salt and chilli flakes in a medium bowl. Add the prawns and gently fold through the marinade. Set aside while you prepare and cook the rest of the dish. The ghee will solidify during this time; don’t worry, it will melt beautifully again when you add the prawns to the orzo.
To cook the orzo, melt the extra 2 tablespoons OMGhee over medium heat in a large frying pan or shallow Dutch oven that has a lid.Add the orzo, chilli flakes and a good pinch of the salt; stir constantly for a few minutes until the orzo is lightly golden and toasty.
- Stir in the zucchini and oregano along with another pinch of salt. Cook for 2 more minutes, just until the zucchini is slightly softened. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook, stirring, for another minute until fragrant.
- Fold in the cherry tomatoes, plenty of black pepper and the stock. Bring to the boil, pop the lid on your pan and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, checking and stirring a couple of times and adjusting the heat if needed, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is cooked through.
- Gently stir through the prawns and peas, cover the pan again and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the prawns are pink and just cooked through.
- Remove from the heat. Taste and decide if you need any more salt, pepper or chilli flakes. Fold through most of the fresh herbs and the juice of one lemon quarter. Scatter with the crumbled feta and the remaining herbs. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Recipe Note
Orzo (also called risoni) is rice-shaped pasta that cooks in the same time as rice. You’ll find it in the pasta section of any supermarket.
Play with your veg. Most quick-cooking veg will work in this dish. If it’s a veg you’d usually sauté (like capsicum or sweetcorn), add this at the beginning where we’ve used the zucchini. If it’s a veg you’d usually steam (like broccoli, broccolini, green beans, or tender leafy greens), add these about 5 minutes before the orzo is cooked.
Cost-cutting? We’ve been modest in the amount of prawns we’ve suggested for 4 people, both to keep costs down and to amp up the veg. Keeping raw prawn meat in the freezer and using smaller amounts like this is a convenient, low-cost way of enjoying seafood, while still making your meals feel a touch indulgent.
Gluten-free? Replace the orzo with the same quantity of rice, which might take just a little bit longer to cook.
Plant-based? Instead of prawns, add 1x 400g can drained organic chickpeas at the same time as the tomatoes. Keep the very tasty liquid (‘aquafaba’) you’ve drained from the can and use it to make up some of the stock. Use a vegan feta if needed.
Leftover Christmas ham? One of our recipe testers asked if leftover Christmas ham would work in this instead of prawns! Go for it (assuming you’ve stored your ham in the freezer 😊). Simply thaw and cut your ham into cubes (no need to marinate as you would with the prawns) and add to the pan at the same time as the peas.
