Sear the chicken. Place your large, deep pot over a medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering and you can feel its gentle heat on your hand, add the diced chicken in a single layer. Let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes – you want a deep, golden-brown crust on the underside. The sound should be a satisfying, steady sizzle. Once golden, stir and cook for another 2 minutes until it’s no longer pink on the outside. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate. The bottom of the pan should have lovely, sticky brown bits – that’s pure flavour.

Sweat the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the same pot. Stir it around, scraping up those brown bits from the bottom. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the onion has softened and turned translucent. The smell at this point will be sweet and savoury. Add the sliced garlic and diced red pepper, and cook for a further 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the pepper has started to soften. You’ll notice the kitchen air becoming wonderfully aromatic.

Bloom the spices and tomato. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, chilli flakes (if using), and the tomato purée. Stir everything together and cook for 1 minute. This step, called blooming, wakes up the dried herbs and intensifies their flavour. The paste will darken slightly and smell incredibly rich.

Add the liquid and pasta. Pour in the hot chicken stock. Use a wooden spoon to give the bottom of the pot a good scrape, ensuring nothing is stuck. Bring the liquid to a gentle, rolling boil. You’ll see bubbles breaking the surface steadily. Once boiling, stir in the orzo pasta. Return the seared chicken to the pot, along with any juices that have collected on the plate.

Simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a low simmer – you want the liquid to be lazily bubbling, not furiously boiling. Set a timer for 12 minutes. The key here is to stir the pot every 2-3 minutes, especially as the pasta starts to thicken the liquid. You’ll notice the sauce becoming creamier and more opaque as the starch releases. If the pot looks a little dry before the pasta is tender, add a splash more hot water or stock.

Finish with the olives and cheese. After 12 minutes, the pasta should be al dente – tender but with a slight bite. The sauce should be thick and luscious, coating each piece of pasta. Stir through the halved Kalamata olives. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Be cautious with salt, as the olives and feta are already quite salty. Remove the pot from the heat.

Rest and serve. Crumble the feta cheese over the top and scatter with the fresh parsley. Let the pasta sit, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes. This allows the flavours to meld and the sauce to settle into its final, glorious consistency. Spoon into warm bowls and enjoy immediately.