Vegan Baked Orzo with Tomatoes, Chickpeas and Olives

Ingredients

For 4 portions

• 🍝 350g pasta (dry)
• 🍅 300g cherry tomatoes
• 🥫 200g canned tomatoes
• 🫑 1 medium red bell pepper
• 🧅 1 medium onions
• 🧄 3 cloves garlic
• 🏺 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 🥕 750ml vegetable broth (rehydrated stock cube)
• 🥬 100g spinach
• 🫘 240g chickpeas, canned
• 🫒 80g olives
• 🍞 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 🍋 20g lemon
• 🌿 1 pinch black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
2. Chop the onion and pepper and slice the garlic. Toss them with the cherry tomatoes and olive oil in a large deep roasting tin. Roast for 15 minutes until softening.
3. Stir in the dry orzo, tinned tomatoes, hot stock, drained chickpeas, halved olives and pepper. Add the spinach, pushing it under the liquid.
4. Bake for 22–25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Stir in the nutritional yeast and a squeeze of the lemon. Leave for 5 minutes and serve, adding a splash of hot water if it looks dry.