5 from 21 votes
Orzo Puttanesca
Orzo Puttanesca is a savory pasta dish featuring orzo cooked in a sauce with olives, capers, mushrooms, lentils, and tomatoes, seasoned with oregano and red pepper flakes. Topped with vegan cheeses and herbs, it offers a hearty, flavorful meal with Mediterranean influences.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings:
4
Calories:
328 kcal
Course:
Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 4 ounces mushroom or more ( I use cremini, white or baby portabella, chopped
- 1/2 cup lentils or veggie grounds or TVP or chopped soy curls, cooked
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 3 tablespoons kalamata olives sliced
- 1 nori sheet minced or crumbled, or 1/2 teaspoon or more powdered seaweed, optional
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 15 ounce diced tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes and 1 tablespoon tomato paste, canned
- 2 cups stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 7 ounces orzo
To Top the Orzo
- 1/3 cup vegan mozzarella
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk or cream olive oil
- basil or herbs
- black pepper or pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt, and mix and cook until the onion is golden, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add a splash of water in between to help the onion brown evenly. Then, add in the mushrooms and the lentils or veggie grounds. Mix well, add in a dash of salt, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the capers, olives, nori sheet, oregano, and pepper flakes. Mix well, then mix in the diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Mix in the stock, then bring that whole mixture to a boil, about 3 minutes or so. Stir the orzo into the boiling mixture, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with the lid, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once around the 8 or 9 minute mark. Then check again at the 13 or 14 minute mark. If the orzo is drying out too much, add around 1/2 cup more stock, mix in, then continue to cook until the orzo is cooked to preference. The time will vary based on the brand of the orzo, your stove, the pan, and so on. Once the orzo is cooked, if you want the mixture to be saucier, or if it's too dry, add in some more stock at this point and mix.
- Mix the orzo really well, then even out the top. Top the orzo mixture with the mix of the vegan cheeses and drizzle of the non-dairy milk or the olive oil. The milk or oil will help the cheese melt. Cover with a lid again, increase the heat to medium, and cook for half a minute or so, until the cheese is melty. Switch off the heat, let sit for a minute or two. Open the lid, then garnish with some basil and black pepper, and serve.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Serve as is or paired with toasted sourdough or garlic bread.
- Use soy-free and nut-free vegan cheeses if avoiding those allergens.
- To make gluten-free, substitute the orzo with gluten-free pasta.
Nutrition Information
Calories
328kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
58g
(19%)
Protein
12g
(24%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Sodium
661mg
(28%)
Potassium
568mg
(12%)
Fiber
7g
(28%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
485IU
(10%)
Vitamin C
14mg
(16%)
Calcium
87mg
(9%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 328
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 328kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 58g | 19% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Sodium | 661mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 568mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 485IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 87mg | 9% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.