We really wanted to recreate a veggie version of a flavoursome tuna puttenesca dish and tried using a number of ingredients until we finally reached the idea of grating halloumi - this delicious hard cheese does a great job of adding a moreish fatty and oily texture to the dish, similar to that of tuna. This is one of Leo's favourite new recipes we've created, so we hope you enjoy it at home. We love to serve this dish with a simple side of roasted green veggies or a mixed leaf side salad.
Serves 4 & takes 30 minutes to cook
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons of capers, drained
115g green olives, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of thick balsamic vinegar
1 veggie stock pot, mixed with 650ml boiling water
2 tablespoons of harissa paste
300g orzo
1 x 250g block of good quality halloumi cheese
Olive oil
Salt
1. Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion turns soft.
2. Once the onion turns soft, add the diced garlic, sliced cherry tomatoes, drained capers and olives to the pan. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to break down and turn juicy.
3. At this point, mix through the balsamic vinegar, veggie stock, harissa paste and orzo. Mix well until everything is well combined and cook for 10 minutes, or until the orzo turns soft and the water is absorbed.
4. Finally, grate in the halloumi cheese and cook for a final 5-10 minutes, or until everything comes together and is piping hot - adding a dash more water if the pasta starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Taste and season accordingly with salt and more balsamic if needed. Serve with a crack of black pepper on top.
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