Roasted Pepper, Thyme and Butter Bean Tray Bake | Recipe

This is a great way of getting lots of flavour on the table in no time. Using a jar of peppers with thyme and harissa instantly transforms a handful of simple ingredients into something special.

Serves  4
30 minutes

2 aubergines, cut into 1cm dice

2 courgettes, cut into 1cm dice

4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to serve

300g orzo

2 tablespoons harissa

1 × 400g tin of cherry tomatoes

1 × 400g tin of butter beans, drained

1 × 300–400g jar of roasted peppers in oil, drained and diced, plus about 2 tablespoons of the oil to serve

2 large handfuls of rocket (about 100g)

sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Tip the aubergine, courgette, garlic, thyme and olive oil into a large baking tray. Add a big pinch of salt, stir and roast for 10 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and add the orzo, harissa, tomatoes, butter beans and roasted peppers. Fill the empty tomato tin with water and pour this in too. Add a big pinch of salt, lots of pepper, stir everything together then level the surface. It’s important to season the pasta really well here so that you get maximum flavour.

Return the tray to the oven for 18–20 minutes, until the orzo is cooked but still has a bite to it – it will continue to absorb liquid and cook as it cools.

To serve, spoon the orzo mixture on to plates, scatter over a handful of rocket and drizzle with a little of the olive oil from the pepper jar.

For little ones, swap the harissa for pesto.