One Pot Puttanesca-ish Orzo

a low prep, pantry friendly, cozy dinner

Thank you all for the warm reception to my first annual cookie ebook, Have a Little Something Sweet: Cookie Edition! If you missed it, I made a sweet little downloadable ebook with 8 cookie recipes that hopefully fulfill all of your holiday cookie cravings. A subscription and some cookies would make a nice gift for the cooking and baking enthusiast in your life.

But alas, because we cannot survive on cookies alone, I also made you dinner. Not just any dinner, it’s a one pot, quick, low prep, pantry friendly, and super cozy dinner. Did I miss any dinner recipe buzzwords or did I manage to squeeze them all in? There are a few things to chop, but it’s mostly hands off cooking, and it’s pretty good room temperature too if everyone in your household eats dinner at different times.

This time of year, I love a carb on carb meal so we are making baked orzo with white beans in a puttanesca-ish sauce. We’re going to toast the orzo in a bit of butter and oil (or skip the toasting if you don’t have the patience) until it is golden and nutty, then add chopped garlic, sun dried tomatoes (secret ingredient), and as many red pepper flakes as you like (Calabrian chili paste would be excellent here if you have some kicking around.) You can also add some capers and anchovies at this point, which are traditional puttanesca ingredients.

Then we’re going to crush a big can of whole peeled tomatoes and add them, along with their juices into the pot. I like to stick my clean hand straight into the can and crush them as I am adding them to the pot. It’s very satisfying, and also sometimes sprays tomato seeds onto the stovetop and my shirt. Do this at your own risk.

Why whole peeled tomatoes if we’re crushing them anyway? Great question! Whole peeled tomatoes are generally higher quality than their crushed or diced counterparts which are made from tomatoes that don’t make the grade to be packaged whole. Diced tomatoes are also usually packaged with an additive that helps them keep their shape, which makes the texture a little weird. When you start with whole tomatoes you can crush them just a bit for chunky sauce or a whole lot for more smooth sauce. 

We’re also adding some white beans for a bit of protein. You could brown some sausage in the pan before you toast the orzo too if you like. Then, the whole pot goes into the oven to bake until the sauce is thickened and the orzo is al dente. The tomatoes, olives, and beans will all be somewhat seasoned with salt so make sure to taste before you season. A bit of parm, basil, and lemon zest at the end add some brightness, and a little color to the dish.

Serve the orzo with a simple salad or some roasted broccoli (toss florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast it on a sheet tray while the pasta is baking) on the side to add some more veggies to the table. My favorite quick salad for a meal like this is a few handfuls of baby arugula dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked pepper. You don’t need to mix the dressing before adding it to the arugula - just squeeze the lemon (you’ll have a naked lemon leftover from the pasta anyway!) and drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top, sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper, and call it dinner.