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