International dishesGrilled DishesItalyAbout 45 minutes, including 20 minutes baking the orzo and 15 minutes baking the fish
This salmon and orzo needs only one tray. The orzo drinks up the vegetable stock, the parmesan makes it rich and the salmon bakes just to the point of flaking.
The timing is the difficulty, keeping the fish from drying out while the orzo cooks through. Toss the orzo with 500ml of vegetable stock and the asparagus and bake it for 20 minutes so it absorbs the liquid first, then lay the salmon over the top.
This batch weighs about 1.9kg, at roughly 161 calories per 100g.
Method
Heat the oven to 200C. In a deep baking tray, mix 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of parsley and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Turn 4 salmon fillets through it to coat, then lift them out and set them aside.
Using the same tray, add 200g of orzo, 500ml of vegetable stock and 100g of asparagus and stir. Bake for 20 minutes so the orzo absorbs the liquid and cooks through.
Take the tray out, add 100g of green peas, 50g of parmesan and a handful of spinach and stir until the cheese melts through the orzo.
Lay the salmon fillets over the orzo and tuck lemon slices between them. Return the tray to the oven for another 15 minutes until the fish flakes easily. Season with salt and black pepper, divide into 4 servings and eat straight away.
Tips
Orzo is sold in the imported food aisle; short pasta works instead but the stock needs adjusting.
This divides neatly into meal prep containers.
The fish is done when it flakes easily, so stop there.
Scatter the parmesan while the orzo is hot so it melts and coats evenly.
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