Simple ingredients cooked with a dedicated arrangement, bring this one pot meal to another level. It’s better than some restaurant seafood dishes, honestly.
I learnt this one pot meal recipe from a cookbook: MEZCLA: Recipes to Excite.
What excited me is that, first, orzo is used, which I have never tried in my life. Second, it happens all in one pot – easy-peasy is always the best. Third, the spiced tomato-based sauce is really my thing.
Orzo, often resembled to paella rice, is pasta, not rice. It takes a shorter time to cook – about 10 minutes can do the job.
Although the orzo won’t be very chewy after cooked, it offers a lovely crispy texture when cooked to slightly burnt, which is a highlight to this one pot meal.
Nowadays, you can easily find orzo in many supermarkets such as Tesco, Waitrose, or in whole food store like Scoop.
A Few Cooking Notes
Apart from the original recipe in MEZCLA, I made a few changes to adapt to our taste and what I had on hand.
- From piri piri to curry powder. Since I don’t have piri piri seasoning, I used a mild curry powder to spice up the sauce. You won’t feel the output is very much a curry, but a warmly spiced up tomato-based sauce. If you like hot, use piri piri or add some chilli powder.
- From tofu to seafood. Originally, it was a vegan dish but I find seafood matches so well. I used what was left in the freezer – shelled-on prawns and some mussels. I think seafood infused orzo is definitely a triumph for a midweek meal.
- Make the sauce ahead. According to the cookbook, the sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Spiced Seafood over Crispy Orzo Recipe
Cook this restaurant-like pasta dish at home with NO FUSS. And it’s very easy, too!
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 160 g orzo
- 320 ml water
- frozen seafood, thawed
- 120 g king prawns
- 140 g mussels
- 100 g spinach
- ¾ tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt
For the Spiced Sauce
- 150 g sweet cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- about 15 twists of black pepper
How to Make
- First make the spiced sauce. Blitz the cherry tomatoes in a food processor until pulped, then put in a medium bowl. Add all the sauce ingredients and mix.
- Put half of the sauce, orzo and water into a 28 cm sauté pan, mix well and set aside.
- Place all the seafood into the remaining sauce. Add a good pinch of salt and mix well.
- Back to the orzo. Turn on to medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir continuously. The orzo will gradually absorb all the water and start sticking to the pan. When most of the water is gone, remove it from the heat.
- Meanwhile, toss the spinach with oil and salt, set aside.
- Use a spatula or spoon to smoothen the orzo surface. On top, spread the seafood evenly (with the sauce), then cover with the spinach.
- Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Uncover and let it cook for a further 5 minutes, until the steam produced by the spinach has been reabsorbed.
- Check if the bottom of the orzo is crispy or not. Adjust accordingly. Serve warm or hot.
More One Pot Meal Recipes
- A Sweet and Humble Roots Shine Soup
- One Pot Meal: Poached Fish in Charred Tomato Broth
- Easy Burmese Green Bean Salad with Peanut Sauce
- Vegan Bean Stew with Kale and Roast Squash
- Easy One Pot Asian Prawn Noodle Soup (Super Comforting)
- 【One Pot】Smoky Paprika Sausage and Lentils Stew
- Borlotti Beans and Sausages Stew in One Pot
- The Happy Pear Chickpea Curry (Steps-Cut Chana Masala)
