Serves: 8

Preparation:  20 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Category: Fish / Pescatarian

Plan: Best to prepare same day

Difficulty:  Easy

Course: Main

Cuisine: English

Lemon Salmon & Orzo Casserole

Guest Recipe by Ali Ramen

which originally appeared: EatingWell.com, August 2023

We have been cooking various fish dishes recently using Orzo, which is a fine rice shaped pasta

and works brilliantly with fish dishes and makes a nice change.

This dish is particularly good if made during the English asparagus season, which is very short

and only lasts 8 weeks.   One can buy imported asparagus, but this can also easily be

substituted with fresh French green beans.

Ingredients

• 1 small lemon
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 medium leeks, light green and white parts only, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, divided
• 4 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups whole-wheat orzo
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 ½ pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into large chunks
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups) (use green beans if not using asparagus)
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
   
   
2. Cut lemon in half crosswise. Thinly slice 1 lemon half; remove and discard seeds and lemon end.
   
   
3. Juice the remaining lemon half to yield 1 tablespoon juice; set aside.
   
   
4. Place the lemon slices, tomatoes, leeks, garlic, 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon capers in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; toss to combine.
   
   
5. Bake, uncovered, until the tomatoes have begun to burst and the lemon has softened, 15 to 18 minutes.
   
   
6. Remove from oven; gently stir in broth, orzo and 1 teaspoon salt.
   
   
7. Cover with foil.
   
   
8. Bake until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the orzo is al dente, 20 to 26 minutes.
   
   
9. Meanwhile, season salmon and asparagus with pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt; drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil.
   
   
10. Once the orzo is al dente, remove the baking dish from the oven; stir in the asparagus and 2 tablespoons dill.
    
    
11. Nestle the salmon into the orzo mixture.
    
    
12. Bake, uncovered, until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily when tested with a fork, about 10 minutes.
    
    
13. Meanwhile, combine the reserved 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon capers and 1/4 cup dill in a small bowl. Serve the sauce alongside the casserole.