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Greek tomato orzo kritharaki garnished with chopped parsley.
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Greek tomato orzo(Kritharaki)

Greek tomato orzo or Kritharaki is a simple but delicious one-pot Greek comfort food that gets ready in just 30 minutes. If you are looking for a light and enjoyable weeknight dinner recipe, this Kritharaki in tomato sauce is a perfect recipe. It can be enjoyed by vegans too.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 346kcal
Author Vandana Chauhan

Equipment

  • 1 large cooking pot or pan
  • 1 Spatula
  • 1 food masher
  • Knife and chopping board

Ingredients

  • 250 grams Kritharaki or orzo
  • 400 grams roma tomatoes cut into half
  • 1 medium red onion finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley for garnishing
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes adjust to taste
  • ½ tablespoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cups vegetable stock

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a cooking pot. Add chopped garlic and onion. Saute until the onion turns translucent.
  • Add tomato halves, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and oregano. Mix and cook for around 12- 15 minutes on medium heat i.e. until the tomatoes are cooked and start turning mushy.
  • Mash the tomatoes with a masher.
  • Add tomato paste, mix, and cook for around 30 seconds.
  • Add orzo and saute for a minute.
  • Add vegetable stock and mix everything. Cook uncovered for around 12 to 15 minutes on medium heat i.e. until the orzo is cooked.
  • Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. You can also use passata or canned crushed or diced tomatoes instead of fresh Roma tomatoes in this recipe. But I feel the one made with fresh tomatoes tastes better as I enjoy the taste of fresh ingredients more than canned ingredients.
  2. Some people also add grated carrots to the sauce, you can do that too if you want.
  3. Saute the pasta in the sauce for about a minute before adding the liquid.
  4. Different people have different consistency preferences for this Greek tomato Kritharaki. Some like kritharaki with a risotto-like consistency but some prefer it more on the soupy side. Adjust the amount of stock depending on what consistency you prefer.
  5. If you feel the need for adding more liquid to tomato orzo, add hot or warm stock to it.
  6. You may add a little sugar to the sauce to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
  7. Non-vegans may add some crumbled feta or shredded cheese before serving.
  8. You may also garnish it with sliced kalamata olives.
  9. Instead of vegetable stock, you can use water too but vegetable stock will make the dish more flavorful.
  10. If you don't like orzo, use any short-cut pasta of your choice.
  11. More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1222mg | Potassium: 489mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1774IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg