Orzo pilaf with fennel and dill

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine ottolenghi
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 3 bulbs fennel (800g in total), trimmed and each bulb cut into 6 wedges
  • 60 ml olive oil
  • 700 ml vegetable stock
  • 100 ml white wine
  • 15 grams dill roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp extra, chopped, to serve
  • 250 grams orzo

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 250C (230C fan)/ gas 9+. Put the fennel, two and a half tablespoons of the oil, a third of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper into a large, oven-proof saute pan for which you have a lid. Toss to coat, then pour in 100ml vegetable stock, transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until the fennel is soft and well browned. Remove from the oven and turn down the heat to 220C.
  • Add the wine, dill, orzo, remaining stock, a teaspoon and a quarter of salt and a good grind of pepper to the pan, and stir everything together. Cover the pot with a lid and return to the oven for 20 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Remove the lid and return to the oven for eight minutes more, until the pasta mix is golden around the edges. Sprinkle the extra dill and the remaining tablespoon and a half of oil all over the top and serve warm.
original recipe