Orzo Pasta

Kritharaki, the rice-shaped pasta known outside Greece as orzo, is one of the most distinctive and satisfying pasta shapes in Greek cooking. Unlike Italian orzo (which tends to be small and used primarily in soups), Greek kritharaki comes in a larger size specifically designed for the oven: the iconic baked pasta dish…Kritharaki, the rice-shaped pasta known outside Greece as orzo, is one of the most distinctive and satisfying pasta shapes in Greek cooking. Unlike Italian orzo (which tends to be small and used primarily in soups), Greek kritharaki comes in a larger size specifically designed for the oven: the iconic baked pasta dish giouvetsi, where lamb or beef is slow-roasted in a tomato sauce until the orzo swells, absorbs all the liquid, and develops an almost risotto-like creaminess at the edges of the clay dish.Beyond giouvetsi (which alone is reason enough to keep kritharaki permanently stocked), it works beautifully in: avgolemono soup…Read more