About Manestra
Manestra is Greek comfort food at its simplest: kritharaki, or orzo, cooked directly in a seasoned tomato broth until the pasta releases its starch and the sauce becomes glossy and spoonable.
Ingredients
- 300 g orzo (kritharaki)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 700 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper
- 40 g grated kefalotyri, Parmesan or pecorino
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp butter, optional
Method
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy saucepan and gently soften the onion.
- Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, stock, oregano, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the orzo and cook gently, stirring regularly so it does not catch on the bottom.
- Continue until the orzo is tender and the sauce is thick but still slightly loose, around 15 to 18 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley, cheese and optional butter, then rest for a few minutes before serving.