This sheet pan tomato orzo cooks entirely in the oven. With roasted red onion, red bell pepper and garlic, combined with canned plum tomatoes and feta cheese. A great side dish or meatless meal.
This sheet pan tomato orzo is a fabulous side dish alongside a simple protein like grilled chicken or fish or it also works well as a meatless main dish.
This orzo cooks completely in the oven, so no boiling is necessary.
What you’ll need
Orzo – While it looks like rice, orzo is pasta, so look for it in with the dried pasta at the grocery store.
Red Bell Pepper – You can substitute orange or yellow bell pepper for the red bell pepper. Be careful with green bell pepper, as it has a more sharp flavour.
Garlic – Start with whole garlic cloves, as minced garlic will scorch on the pan. If you only have minced garlic, you could add a little when the water is added, to get the flavour without the scorching.
Red Onion – Red onion is nice here, but sweet or yellow cooking onions will also work. Be sure to cut them into thick wedges, to avoid scorching.
Canned Plum Tomatoes – Start with a 28oz/398ml can of plum tomatoes, preferably peeled. I haven’t tested this dish with fresh tomatoes. The problem with fresh tomatoes is that they take longer in the oven to cook through and release a lot of liquid. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, I would pre-roast them separately and add them as the canned tomatoes are added.
Feta Cheese – Block feta cheese works well as it can be cut into slices to lay on the top. If you only have crumbled feta, that’s fine too.
Cilantro – If you enjoy cilantro, don’t skip it! It adds a wonderful, fresh flavour to this dish. If you aren’t a cilantro fan, you could substitute flat Italian parsley.
You will also need – Dried coriander, salt and pepper.
How to make sheet pan tomato orzo
- Scatter the chopped red pepper, red onion and whole garlic cloves on a 9×13 sheet pan. (You could also use a 10×15-inch sheet pan). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast the vegetables for 15-20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
- Add the plum tomatoes to the sheet pan. Season with coriander and add some red pepper flakes, if using. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Add the hot water to the sheet pan.
- Add the orzo to the sheet pan.
- Add the juices from the canned tomatoes to the sheet pan. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Stir the mixture together well, distributing the orzo around the pan.
- Top with slabs of feta cheese, then return to the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the orzo is tender. Stir once or twice during cooking and taste-test the orzo to be sure it is cooked.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, then top with plenty of chopped, fresh cilantro.
Recipe video
Recipe tips!
- You can use a 9×13-inch rimmed sheet pan with a rim at least 1 inch high or a 9×13-inch casserole or baking pan, preferably metal.
- Depending on your sheet pan and the height of the rim, you may find that all of the liquid doesn’t fit. If so, hold a little back as necessary and drizzle it over as the orzo cooks and the liquid level reduces.
- This is a dish that greatly benefits from generous seasoning with salt and pepper. I like to season at several times throughout the cooking process and then finish with a seasoning over the top after cooking.
- You may need to add a bit more water near the end of cooking if the orzo is not quite cooked and the liquid level is getting low. I typically add about 1/4-1/3 cup more at the end.
- While the slabs of feta make for a pretty presentation, if you aren’t concerned about that, go ahead and break them into 2 or 3 pieces as it’s nice to spread that bit of salty, tangy flavour around.
- Be sure to taste test the orzo towards the end of cooking to judge done-ness.
Variations
Replace some or all of the hot water with hot chicken or vegetable broth, for a bit of extra flavour.
Substitute different vegetables, just avoid using too many vegetables overall or there won’t be room in the pan for all of the liquid that needs to be added later.
Making ahead and storing
This sheet pan orzo holds up fairly well when made ahead. After cooling slightly, cover with foil and refrigerate on the sheet pan. To reheat, keep covered with foil and reheat in a 350F oven until warmed through. Like most tomato-based dishes, the flavour benefits from the time in the refrigerator. If necessary, drizzle a bit of water over the top before reheating, if it seems dry.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Orzo freezes well. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored and seeded, then chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, *see Note 1 below
- salt and pepper
- 28 oz (398 ml) canned whole plum tomatoes, peeled tomatoes, recommended
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 cup (160 g) orzo pasta
- 2 cups (500 g) hot water, plus more as needed
- 4 1/2 oz (130 g) feta cheese, sliced
- salt and pepper, as needed
- chopped cilantro and/or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F (regular setting/not fan-assisted). Have ready a 9×13-inch rimmed baking sheet. *See Note 2 below.
- Scatter the prepared red onion, garlic cloves and chopped red bell peppers on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are starting to colour, stirring once during cooking.
- Meanwhile, remove the plum tomatoes from the can and gently hand-crush a bit, allowing the liquid to drip back into the can. Place in a bowl and have ready. Reserve the canned tomato juices.
- After the vegetables have roasted, add the plum tomatoes (without the juice), the coriander and some red pepper flakes if using and roast for 10 minutes more, stirring once.
- Tip! If all of the liquid doesn't fit in your pan, add what will fit then drizzle the remaining liquid as the orzo cooks and the liquid level reduces.
- Remove from oven. Use a fork to smash the tomatoes and garlic. Add the orzo, hot water and the reserved juices from the canned tomatoes. Stir together well to distribute the orzo. Dot with top with the feta cheese slices. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Return to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring 2-3 times while cooking and taste-testing the orzo towards the end of cooking to see if it is done. If the pan seems dry and the orzo is not yet cooked, drizzle with a bit more water if needed. (I usually need to add 1/4-cup-ish more water near the end).
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with flaky salt and chopped cilantro and/or parsley.
Notes
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
