Yotam Ottolenghi's barley, tomato and garlic risotto recipe

Initially, I cooked up some barley with chopped tomatoes with the intention of using it to stuff some courgettes, but it tasted so good that I decided to serve it as it was. Still, if you fancy trying out my original idea, lightly cook some whole courgettes, halve them and hollow them out, and fill the cavity with the barley mixture (you want it drier than when making risotto, say). Top with a good melting cheese and finish off in the oven. Serves four. 3 tbsp olive oil, plus an extra trickle at the end 2 whole heads garlic, cloves separated, peeled and quartered 750g fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped 200g passata ½ tsp smoky paprika ⅛ tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tbsp picked thyme 4 strips fresh lemon zest 1½ tsp caster sugar 1 tsp salt 270g pearl barley, well rinsed in cold water and drained Roughly 200ml water 20g chopped coriander leaves, plus extra to garnish Black pepper 200g feta, crumbled roughly Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan and sauté the garlic quarters for about two minutes, or until golden. Add the tomatoes, passata, paprika, chilli, thyme, lemon zest, sugar, salt, barley and a ladleful of water; stir and bring the mix to a simmer. Cook over minimal heat for 50-60 minutes, until the barley is tender but still firm to the bite. You'll need to stir it from time to time, so it doesn't stick to the pan, and add water occasionally, making sure there is always just enough liquid left in the pot to cook the barley. At the end of the cooking, the mix should be runny enough easily to spoon into bowls. Once done, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the coriander and some freshly ground black pepper. Add most of the feta, stir gently so the cheese doesn't break up too much and stays in largish chunks, taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with the reserved feta and coriander, and drizzle over a little olive oil. • Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi in London.