Spiced tomato orzo

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp oregano

Pinch of chili flakes

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

800ml tinned tomatoes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh oregano or basil

350g orzo

200g feta

Directions

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the cumin, coriander and nigella seeds. Toast until they release their fragrance, about 1 minute.

Add a few tablespoons of oil to the skillet, then add the onion, garlic and chili powder and cook over low heat until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the tomatoes and a good pinch of salt and pepper, stir, and cook until they have broken down and formed a soupy tomato sauce, 18 to 20 minutes. Add the oregano leaves to the skillet. Season well with salt and pepper (but remember that you will add salty feta at the end).

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Cook the orzo in the boiling salted water until it’s just less than al dente, about 10 minutes (or a couple minutes less than the package instructions). Reserve a cupful of the pasta water, then drain the orzo.

Add the orzo to the tomato sauce and let everything cook to a gentle, thick, souplike consistency, about 2 minutes. Add a little of the pasta water to loosen as needed. Serve the pasta with lots of good olive oil (be generous here) and a sprinkle of crumbled feta.