Oven Baked Greek Cheese & Butter Bean Orzo

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Trim the green stalk[s] off your aubergine[s] and discard, then chop into small bite-sized pieces

Combine half your ground paprika (save the rest for later!) with 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] olive oil and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl and set aside to infuse – this is your paprika oil

Add the chopped aubergine to a baking tray (or two!) with a generous drizzle of olive oil, your dried oregano and a pinch of pepper

Give everything a good mix up and put the tray[s] in the oven for 20-25 min or until golden and crisp – this is your crispy aubergine

Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a generous drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add your cherry tomatoes with your tomato paste and roasted garlic paste

Cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Drain and rinse your butter beans

Once fragrant, add your orzo and drained butter beans to the dish with your vegetable stock mix, remaining ground paprika, a pinch of sugar and 400ml [525ml] [700ml] boiled water

Crumble half your Greek cheese (you'll use the rest later!) into the dish, and stir it all together

Bring to the boil over a high heat, cover with a lid, then put the dish in the oven for 20-25 min, stirring halfway, or until the orzo is tender and the liquid has been absorbed – this is your Greek cheese & butter bean orzo

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once the aubergine is golden and crisp, remove the tray[s] from the oven and move the aubergine to one side

Add your pine nuts to the other side of the tray[s], then return it to the oven for a final 2-3 min, or until the pine nuts are toasted and lightly golden

Tip: Watch them like a hawk to make sure they don't burn!