Manestra – Greek Ground Beef & Orzo
30 Days of Greek Cooking: Day 10 of 30
My manestra recipe is made with lean ground beef & orzo and is garnished with fresh parsley & shredded romano cheese. Sometimes these dishes are made more soupy, but I like it to be a bit thicker so I can serve it in a shallow bowl. I seriously wish I could share the delicious scent of this dish with you while it’s cooking, but you’ll just have to make it for yourself! I swear, I didn’t even want to walk out of the kitchen because I didn’t want to miss the smell of it on the stove.
What is Manestra?
Manestra (mah-NAY-strah) is a one-pot Greek orzo dish that’s tomato-based with olive oil, onion, & garlic. Most recipes include ground beef, but it can be made vegetarian. This sort of dish is often served as a soup or stew with shredded cheese as a garnish and is considered a Greek comfort food.
Items you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Wooden spoon
- Cuttingboard & knife
- Large stockpot
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Grease strainer
Greek Manestra
- Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Manestra is a one-pot Greek orzo dish that’s tomato-based with olive oil, lean ground beef, onion, garlic, & fresh herbs. It’s considered to be a Greek comfort food.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5 lbs. lean ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
romano cheese, shredded (for garnish)
salt
black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon EVOO over medium heat in a large stockpot until shimmering, but not smoking. Add onion and cook for 4 minutes while stirring regularly. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add lean ground beef, salt, & pepper and cook until fully cooked, about 7 minutes. Strain out fat and return to pot.
- Drizzle an additional 2 tablespoons EVOO into pot. Add tomato paste, dried oregano, cinnamon, fresh mint, & about ¼ cup of fresh parsley. Stir to coat beef and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken stock. Ensure nothing is stuck to bottom of pot by scraping with wooden spoon. Raise heat and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add orzo pasta. Stir for about 1 minute, then lower heat and cover. Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Keep covered & remove pot from heat. Let stand undisturbed for about 7 minutes, allowing orzo to soak up most remaining liquid.
- Serve in shallow bowls. Sprinkle shredded romano cheese & remaining chopped fresh parsley to garnish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Rest Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-Pot
- Cuisine: Greek
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