- Serves 4 - Ready in 25 minutes -
Gather together…
2 cups dry orzo pasta (415g dry weight equivalent).
1 tbsp rapeseed oil or olive oil.
3 medium courgettes.
2 large handfuls of frozen peas.
1 lemon, juiced then cut into wedges to serve.
Pinch of salt.
2 tsp smoked paprika.
Large handful Parsley (leaves only), finely chopped. (I grow / buy herbs in bulk and then chop and freeze them - ready to use, quickly, in future recipes).
6 radishes (approx. 100g), thinly sliced and then halved.
To serve...
2 tbsp of plain yogurt per person.
Pitta breads (1 per person) toasted and halved.
Get cooking…
1. Boil a full kettle of water.
2. In a big pan (big enough to eventually put all of the ingredients into), cook the 2 cups of orzo pasta in simmering water (enough to cover the pasta by 3cm) for 15 minutes (N.B. you will then continue to cook the orzo with the courgette ribbons). At the start of the cooking time, add the 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and stir, to stop the pasta grains clumping together. If you are using an IKEA Stabil pasta insert in the pan, then there is no need to stir throughout. Otherwise you MUST stir every few minutes during cooking to prevent pasta sticking to the base of the pan.
3. Meanwhile, top and tail the 3 courgettes and stand them upright on a chopping board. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel them lengthways into long, thin ribbons. Keep going inwards as far as the seeds. Once you reach the seeds, turn the courgette and repeat on the other sides. Discard the seeds (if they are young courgettes, save and dice the seeded-parts to eat as a refreshing snack).
4. Once the pasta has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the 2 large handfuls of frozen peas, plus the courgette ribbons and simmer for 5 minutes more, with the lid on.
5. Drain the pasta and veg with a colander and return to the pan.
6. Add the lemon juice from 1 lemon, a pinch of salt, the 2 tsp of smoked paprika and the large handful of chopped parsley to the pan. Mix well.
7. Divide between the bowls. Garnish with the lemon wedges and raw radish slices, from 6 radishes.
8. Serve with yoghurt and toasted halved pitta breads.
If you have leftovers, don't store with the sliced radish mixed in (as radishes give off a strange smell when stored sliced!). Delicious eaten cold the next day, with freshly sliced radish added afresh the next day.
Adapted from a Tesco Real Food recipe.