Ready in 20 minutes, this dish has juicy spiced prawns with orzo pasta that is cooked with tomato passata and cream cheese which has the most delicious creamy flavour. A perfect weeknight dinner.
I love meals like this, simple protein, lots of flavour, easy to cook. Prawns with Creamy Tomato Orzo ticks all the boxes. Once you have tried orzo cooked like this you will wonder why you have never done it before!
To cook this recipe you’ll need orzo, which is a small oval shaped pasta, or you can use risonni. An onion, and garlic. Tomato passata, or you can use crushed tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, and cream cheese. Raw prawn cutlets, don’t buy the precooked ones they aren’t great in this recipe. Butter, olive oil, smoked paprika, seasoning, lemon and parsley. For some greenery I have added spinach.
How to make Prawns with Creamy Tomato Orzo:
Lets get some flavour started, in a large pan over a medium heat add butter and gently saute the onion, then add the garlic and orzo, and toast in the pan for a minute, stirring. To the orzo add the stock, and passata and season well. Now we are cooking the orzo in the pan until it is cooked. You do need to stir it regularly or it will stick to the pan, trust me, I know from recipe testing experience!
Simmer for around 12- 15 minutes. IF it seems too thick, add a little more water. Once cooked, add the spinach and cream cheese. Stir to melt that lovely cream cheese in, and turn off the heat. Set aside with a lid on to keep warm while you cook the prawns.
Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat, add the remaining butter, add the prawns to the pan in a single layer, sprinkle with smoked paprika and salt and pepper. Cook for around 1 minute on each side until cooked and a lovely blush colour. Once cooked, take the lemon, cut in half and squeeze the juice of one half over the prawns. Top the orzo with the prawns, sprinkle over parsley and serve with the rest of the lemon cut into wedges.
If you are looking for more yummy dinner recipes check out my posts for Kung Pao Chicken and Lamb & Haloumi Gyro.
Common questions about Prawns with Creamy Tomato Orzo:
Can I freeze the leftovers? The Orzo will freeze well but the prawns don’t taste their best after freezing again.
What can I use instead of spinach? Silverbeet or even frozen peas would be delicious.
What can I use instead of prawns? This would be great with fish fillets or chicken thigh.
Prawns with Creamy Tomato Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves of Garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 250 grams Orzo
- 1 cup tomato passata
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 125 grams cream cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 400 grams Raw prawn cutlets defrosted, peeled, deveined, tail on
- 40 grams Butter
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 150 grams Spinach washed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon of Parsley leaves for garnish
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
-
Take a heavy based pan over a medium heat and add oil and 20 grams of butter, once the butter has melted, add the onion to the pan and sauté gently until translucent, around 4 minutes.
-
Add the garlic and orzo and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
-
Add stock and passata, season well. Stirring consistently so it doesn’t stick, bring to a simmer.
-
Simmer for 12-15 minutes until orzo is cooked, you will need to keep stirring otherwise it will still to the bottom of the pan. If it seems very thick, add a little water.
-
Once cooked, add the spinach and cream cheese, stir to combine, take off the heat. Place a lid on to keep warm while you cook the prawns.
-
In a non-stick pan over a medium heat add the remaining 20 grams of butter and melt.
-
Add the prawns to the pan in a single layer, sprinkle with smoked paprika and salt and pepper. Cook for around 1 minute on each side until cooked and a lovely blush colour. Once cooked, take the lemon, cut in half and squeeze the juice of one half over the prawns.
-
Top the orzo with the prawn, sprinkle over parsley and serve with the rest of the lemon cut into wedges.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHECKING OUT MY RECIPE.
FOLLOW ALONG AT MY FACEBOOK PAGE.
OR TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM @the_macpherson_diaries
RELATED RECIPES
