Main Course

Marry Me Chicken Orzo

Marry Me Chicken Orzo

All the sun-dried tomato and cream flavours of Marry Me Chicken, cooked in one pan with orzo so the pasta soaks up the sauce as it goes. On the table in about half an hour.

Makes 3 people · Prep 10 mins · Cook 20 mins · 14 ingredients · 5 steps

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 350g chicken breasts
  • 80g sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 600ml chicken stock
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 20g reduced-fat red pesto
  • 240g orzo
  • 120ml single cream
  • 50g fresh basil
  • 50g parmesan
  • 1/2 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Prep the chicken and aromatics. Finely dice the onion and chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Slice the sun-dried tomatoes and crush the garlic cloves. Set everything aside.
  2. Soften the onion and garlic. Add the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to any deep pan or saucepan, then add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until softened, then add the chicken and cook for around 10 minutes until cooked through.
  3. Build the sauce. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, thyme, pesto and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan. Stir to coat, then pour in about 90% of the stock. Stir again and bring to the boil.
  4. Cook the orzo. Tip in the orzo and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for around 7 minutes, by which point most of the liquid should have been absorbed (but it should still be quite watery-looking, so add the remaining stock plus some additional water if it is not). The orzo will continue to soak up the liquid even once it is off the heat, so do not worry if it looks a little watery. Stir in the cream, then cook for a further 3 minutes or until the orzo is fully cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
  5. Finish with basil. Stir through some torn basil, then divide between bowls and top with extra chopped basil and parmesan, if you like.

Good to know

  • The oil from the sun-dried tomato jar carries a lot of the flavour — use it rather than plain olive oil if you have it.
  • Keep the last of the stock back until step 4; how much the orzo drinks up varies, and it is easier to loosen the pan than to thicken it.
  • Stir the orzo now and again so it does not catch on the bottom of the pan.
  • Leftovers thicken in the fridge — reheat with a splash of water or stock to bring the sauce back.