Herby Spiced Mushroom Orzo with Parmesan

Name: Herby Spiced Mushroom Orzo with Parmesan
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: European, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 60ml olive oil; 250g orzo; 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; 1½ tsp ground allspice; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 500ml vegetable stock; 250g oyster mushrooms, left whole or, if large, torn in half; 250g chestnut mushrooms, cut into quarters; 5¼ tbsp (20g) tarragon leaves, roughly chopped; 7¾ tbsp (30g) parsley leaves, roughly chopped; 3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced in rounds; 1½ tbsp lemon juice (ie, from 1 lemon); 20g parmesan, finely grated; 3 tbsp olive oil; 80g sunflower seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar; 60g panko breadcrumbs; ½ tsp chilli flakes; Salt and pepper

7 steps

Prep:25minCook:25min

This is leftover supper rolling into next day desk lunch. Use any herbs you have on hand and replace the parmesan with a different hard cheese (such as pecorino or ricotta salata), if you like. Alternatively, leave out the cheese altogether to make it vegan.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 06:33:18 GMT

Ingredients

4 servings

60mlolive oil

250gorzo

5garlic cloves

peeled and crushed

1 ½ tspground allspice

1 tspground turmeric

1 tspcumin seeds

½ tspground cinnamon

500mlvegetable stock

250goyster mushrooms

left whole or, if large, torn in half

250gchestnut mushrooms

cut into quarters

20gtarragon leaves

roughly chopped

30gparsley leaves

roughly chopped

3spring onions

trimmed and thinly sliced in rounds

1 ½ Tbsplemon juice

from 1 lemon

20gparmesan

finely grated

for the crisp bits

3 Tbspolive oil

80gsunflower seeds

lightly crushed in a mortar

60gpanko breadcrumbs

½ tspchilli flakes

salt

pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 240C(220C fan).

OvenPreheat

Step 2

Put two tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid, and set on a medium-high heat. Once hot, fry the orzo and garlic, stirring often, for five minutes, until the orzo is lightly coloured.

Step 3

Add the spices, fry for another minute, until fragrant, then add the stock, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat to low and leave to cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, until the orzo is cooked through and all the liquid is absorbed. Take off the heat, remove the lid and set aside.

Step 4

Meanwhile, put the mushrooms, remaining two tablespoons of oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper on a large oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and toss to coat. Bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes, until golden and crisp in places, then remove and set aside.

Step 5

Now for the topping. Put the oil in a small saucepan on a medium high heat , then fry the sunflower seeds, breadcrumbs, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until lightly golden. Tip out on to a small plate and leave to cool.

Step 6

Stir the roast mushrooms, herbs, spring onions and lemon juice through the orzo , and sprinkle over half the parmesan and half the crisp topping.

Step 7

Serve warm or at room temperature with the remaining parmesan and crisp topping on the side.