Servings: 4

300g orzo 300g orzo
1 shallot 1 shallot
4 cloves of garlic 4 cloves of garlic
350g jarred artichokesin oil, drained but reserving 1tbsp artichoke oil. 350g jarred artichokesin oil, drained but reserving 1tbsp artichoke oil.
1 can chickpeas, drained 1 can chickpeas, drained
50 g baby spinach 50 g baby spinach
1 tbsp green pesto 1 tbsp green pesto
1tsp chilli flakes 1tsp chilli flakes
750 ml water 750 ml water
1 lemon 1 lemon
30g pine nuts 30g pine nuts
15g fresh basil 15g fresh basil
Cheese, to serve Cheese, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C.
Finely chop the shallot and garlic.
Add the shallot, garlic, orzo, artichokes with some artichoke oil , drained chickpeas, spinach, pesto and chilli flakes, if using, to a large casserole dish with a lid. (If you don’t have one with a lid, you can cover it tightly with tin foil.)
Add water, season well with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Cover with lid and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and stir well.
Return to the oven for 5 minutes with the lid off.
While the orzo is baking, toast the pine nuts on a lower shelf for 4 minutes.
To finish, zest the lemon and squeeze the juice over the orzo. Add the cheese, if using, and finish with the toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.