Summer has officially kicked in and I am truly lucky to have a grandma with the most amazing garden of all! Ripe, juicy tomatoes, fragrant, crispy peppers and crunchy cucumbers have made their appearance once more to accompany the greener and sweeter than ever zucchini and plethoric, "meaty" eggplants.The herbs are a whole new story.When you walk by a pot with basil, thyme or fresh rosemary the aroma hugs you and travels you to the crystal clear beaches of a Greek island or the mysterious streets of Italy!

That's what I wanted you to feel like when you create this dish.I wanted to travel your taste buds to the most amazing places in the Mediterranean and create a whole experience not just for your mouth but also for your soul (some deep stuff right here, I'm telling you).Crushed tomatoes, garlic and onion sauteed in high-quality extra virgin olive oil are here to accompany the basil, oregano, thyme and bay leaves.Finishing touches are fragrant whole allspice berries and freshly crushed black pepper for that extra bit of spice.This dish is a definite pleaser and it will seize to satisfy even the pickiest eater.

One final thing, you can definitely make this with spaghetti, rigatoni, fusilli or any other pasta you prefer.The end result will be as tasty as the original recipe.Good luck and remember if you recreate the recipe comment below and tag me on instagram.I'm looking forward to seeing your kitchen skills at work!

Total Time: 45'

• 400 g orzo pasta
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 5 tbs olive oil
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes or passata
• 1 tbs chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole allspice berries (1/8 tsp ground allspice)
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F).Dice the onion.Heat 1 tbs of oil on medium heat and saute the onion till translucent (~4 minutes).Mince the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.Add the tomatoes, spices, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
2. In a deep oven dish, add the sauce, the orzo and the remaining 4 tbs of olive oil.Add boiling water.The water should cover the orzo and be 3 fingers above the surface of it.Bake it for 25'.Enjoy!