Orzo with prawns, tomato and marinated feta

The combination of prawns, feta, tomatoes and pasta is one that I love. I return to it time and again, for easy one-pot suppers. Orzo is the little pasta that comes in the shape of rice. It’s easy to eat a lot of and widely available. If you start with prawns in their shell then keep a few heads on, for the look. The marinated feta is lovely dotted over salads, so I tend to make a batch to keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the feta with ¼ tsp of the chilli flakes, 2 tsps of the fennel seeds and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Set aside while you cook the orzo.
2. Place a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, on a medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, orzo, ⅛ tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry for
   3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, then remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Return the pan to the same heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ¼ tsp of chilli flakes and 2 tsps of fennel seeds, the garlic and the orange skin. Fry for
   1 minute, until the garlic starts to lightly brown, then add the tomatoes, stock, 200 ml of water, ¾ tsp of salt and plenty of pepper. Cook for
   2-3 minutes, or until boiling, then stir in the fried orzo. Cover, then lower the heat to medium low and leave to simmer for
   15 minutes, stirring once or twice throughout so the orzo is cooked. Remove the lid and cook for a further
   1-2 minutes, until the consistency is like a risotto. Stir in the prawns for
   2-3 minutes until they are pink and cooked. Stir in the basil and serve at once, with the marinated feta sprinkled on top.

SIMPLE by Ottolenghi