Autumn is all about comfort food that’s as quick to prepare as it is delicious. After a hiatus over the summer months, when salads and BBQs reigned supreme, there’s something special about whipping up a baked dish and serving it straight from the oven. Even if cooking isn’t your strength, this baked feta and tomato orzo couldn’t be simpler to rustle up. 

It’s as delicious and nutritious as it is easy on the eye, packed full of protein and healthy fats (from the feta) alongside gorgeously roasted tomatoes and nutty orzo pasta (which is higher in fibre than other pasta), while the mint and dill help to up your plant count, too. 

Tomatoes have a myriad of health benefits, and roasting them enhances their goodness. They’re packed full of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps the body fight off free radicals (chemicals that attack the body’s cells). When cooked, the lycopene becomes more readily available for absorption, meaning they’re even better for you. Win-win. 

Serves 4 people

• 500g orzo
• 2 echalion shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 bunch of dill
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 50g capers
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• 300g cherry tomatoes on the vine
• 200g feta
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Put the dry orzo into a large oven-proof dish. Chop the shallots into slices and add to the dish with the garlic. Next add some roughly torn dill, the juice of ¼ lemon, the dried mint and capers.

3. Pour the stock over the dry orzo and stir. It will seem like there is a lot of liquid, but it will absorb when cooked.

4. Season with salt and pepper and place on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes. Check and stir gently after 10-15 minutes.

5. After 25 minutes or when the liquid is thick and mostly absorbed, take the dish out of the oven and crumble the feta over the top. Add the cherry tomatoes on their vines pressing gently into the orzo.

6. Put the dish back in the oven for a further 15 minutes, until the top is crisp and the feta and tomatoes have blistered and softened.

7. Garnish with more fresh dill and drizzle generously with olive oil.

Images and recipe: The Tomato Stall