I make my Greek grandmother's 20-minute orzo recipe whenever I feel lazy and it's the perfect summer dish

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Chloe PantaziJun 9, 2023, 01:52 IST
I make my Greek grandmother's 20-minute orzo recipe whenever I feel lazy and it's the perfect summer dish

My yiayia Chloé has taught me a lot, including how to make kritharaki.Courtesy of Alice the Camera / Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

  • My yiayia has been making kritharaki, a Greek tomato-orzo dish, for as long as I can remember.
  • The no-frills recipe requires just a few ingredients and steps, and is a crowd-pleaser every time.

My yiayia has been making kritharaki, a Greek tomato-orzo dish, for as long as I can remember.

One of my earliest memories is eating a bowl of it while watching "Sesame Street." It was one of the few foods I'd go back to for seconds. And at 33, I'll still go back for another serving.

I'm not the only one. Kritharaki is popular in Greece and Cyprus, where I spent summers growing up visiting my grandparents, and can be made many different ways — including, of course, with meat.

But the no-frills version is all I need when I'm craving a taste of Cyprus, and even better, it's ready in 20 minutes.

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Growing up, my mum and yiayia taught me how to make many Greek-Cypriot dishes. Now we live in three different countries, when I'm particularly missing them I head straight to the kitchen.

Growing up, my mum and yiayia taught me how to make many Greek-Cypriot dishes. Now we live in three different countries, when I'm particularly missing them I head straight to the kitchen.
My yiayia (left) and mum (right) have taught me a lot.Courtesy of Alice the Camera

I like to think I inherited a lot from my yiayia Chloé as her namesake, but I definitely can't do her justice in the kitchen.

Still, she and my mum — also a talented cook — have taught me how to make a number of Greek-Cypriot meals over the years.

It's what connects us still as we live in different places; I'm in the US, my mum in the UK, and my yiayia in Cyprus. And whenever all three of us are in one place, it won't be long before there's a plan — we've barely eaten breakfast when we're talking about the next day's dinner — and a cacophony of clattering pots fills the house. It's music to my ears.

It means that soon enough, we'll be sitting down to share some of our favorite comfort food: sometimes a Sunday roast, pastitsio, or avgolemono soup in the winter. But in the summer it's always kritharaki.

My favorite dish they've taught me to make is kritharaki. The no-frills tomato orzo is popular in Cyprus and Greece, and is the kind of meal you'll go back to for seconds.

My favorite dish they've taught me to make is kritharaki. The no-frills tomato orzo is popular in Cyprus and Greece, and is the kind of meal you'll go back to for seconds.
It makes for perfect leftovers.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

Kritharaki has been a constant at my yiayia's lunch and dinner table throughout my life.

I've lost count of the number of times I've watched her make it fresh in the kitchen, or pop the leftovers in the microwave to serve alongside plates of grilled meat, thick-cut chips, a Greek salad drenched in olive oil and vinegar, and a basket of pita on the table — according to my papou, if there isn't bread on the table, it isn't dinner.

The truth is, whether you have kritharaki on its own, as a side dish, or in a salad, there's no wrong way to eat it (unlike a scone).

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You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe, but don't bother measuring out the olive oil or salt. I like to make enough for about six full servings so I'll have leftovers.

You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe, but don't bother measuring out the olive oil or salt. I like to make enough for about six full servings so I'll have leftovers.
The ingredients you'll need, plus salt if you'd like more.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

To make my yiayia's kritharaki (about six servings), you'll need the following:

  • 14.5 oz (1 can) petite-diced tinned tomatoes
  • 2 cups of orzo
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon, or 1 cube of chicken stock (if you're vegetarian, swap with vegetable bouillon or stock)
  • Salt (you'll add this as you go, to taste)

First, heat your olive oil in a deep pan on medium-high heat. Pour as much oil as it takes to cover the bottom of the pan.

First, heat your olive oil in a deep pan on medium-high heat. Pour as much oil as it takes to cover the bottom of the pan.
If it feels like too much, you're probably doing it right.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

Make sure the oil is heated through before the next step.

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Pour in the orzo and stir to coat it in the olive oil. This should take less than a minute.

Pour in the orzo and stir to coat it in the olive oil. This should take less than a minute.
The orzo should be glossy, but not swimming in oil.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider

Don't let the orzo sit in the oil for too long, or it could stick to the bottom of the pan.

Keep stirring until all of the pasta has an oily sheen to it.

Then, throw your tinned tomatoes into the pan. Don't throw out the empty can — you'll need it in just a second.

Then, throw your tinned tomatoes into the pan. Don't throw out the empty can — you'll need it in just a second.
The pan should make a sizzling sound at this point.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

Tip the can all the way to let the tomato juice pour out, and stir it into the orzo.

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Fill up the can with water and dump it into the pan, then do it one more time.

Fill up the can with water and dump it into the pan, then do it one more time.
No utensils required for this bit.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

If you're making more or less of this recipe, however many cans of tinned tomatoes you use, you'll want to double the amount of water.

So if you're doubling the quantity of the ingredients to make a larger serving, you'd use two cans of tinned tomatoes and four cups of water. (Just make sure you also use double the orzo.)

Add chicken stock and some salt to the pan, stir it in, and bring to a boil. Then simmer and set a 12-minute timer. Then, stir at regular intervals.

Add chicken stock and some salt to the pan, stir it in, and bring to a boil. Then simmer and set a 12-minute timer. Then, stir at regular intervals.
It should go without saying, there's a lot of sodium in this dish.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

I use a tablespoon of powdered chicken bouillon to add a good amount of flavor, but you can always use less if you're watching your sodium intake, or swap it for vegetable bouillon if you don't eat meat.

As you bring it to a boil, use a spoon to nudge any stubborn pieces of orzo that might be clinging to the bottom of the pan. You'll want to keep stirring while it cooks to prevent this, but don't beat yourself up if it happens. I find there's usually some orzo stuck to the bottom of the pan whenever I make this, but it's nothing a quick soak with dish soap can't solve while you're eating.

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At 12 minutes, if the pasta is al dente, give it another three to five minutes to cook, covered over low heat. When it's ready, the water should have absorbed and a fork will break through a piece of orzo.

At 12 minutes, if the pasta is al dente, give it another three to five minutes to cook, covered over low heat. When it's ready, the water should have absorbed and a fork will break through a piece of orzo.
Trust me, you don't want this al dente.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

Give it a taste and add more salt if it's lacking flavor, and until you're satisfied. I try not to put too much, but I've seen my yiayia literally pour salt into this dish like it's water on a hot day. Admittedly, her version always tastes better.

When you're happy with the taste, you're done!

Turn off the heat, and serve! Eat it any way you like.

Turn off the heat, and serve! Eat it any way you like.
I like to eat it for leftovers days after.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

When your kritharaki is done, serve it right away, or if there's any remaining juice let it sit in the pan for a couple of minutes with the lid on (and heat off) to soak it up.

Serve your kritharaki on its own — my favorite — or grate some halloumi on top. I've also seen relatives put a dollop of plain Greek yogurt onto their plate to dip their kritharaki before eating; it adds creaminess and a hint of tartness, if you want to try it.

And if you want to make it more of a one-and-done meal, you could make it with meat, which my yiayia likes to do more lately.

No matter how you eat it, kritharaki feels like a light dish but it's filling at the same time. The orzo feels decadent, like it could almost melt in your mouth, and the tomato flavor is subtle yet combined with the chicken stock well-rounded and comforting. It's truly like a big hug in a bowl.

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It's become the star of my easy weeknight dinners and makes perfect leftovers. And it transports me back to the summers of my childhood in Cyprus.

It's become the star of my easy weeknight dinners and makes perfect leftovers. And it transports me back to the summers of my childhood in Cyprus.
Without a doubt, kritharaki is the star of this plate.Chloé Pantazi-Wolber

On a lazy summer night, my husband will grill some chicken thighs marinated in olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano, while I'll make the kritharaki and chop up cherry tomatoes and cucumber to make a rough-and-ready Greek salad.

It's my favorite kind of weeknight dinner, requiring very little prep — and washing up.

A bonus: I've found kritharaki keeps well in the fridge, and days after I've made it I look forward to my lunch break, when I'll heat up a bowl or throw it cold into a salad. I think it tastes just as good, and sometimes even better, the day after I've made it.

But the best part is that it takes me right back to my childhood, and makes me feel like my mum and yiayia are just in the other room. If I listen hard, I can hear the sound of pots clattering.

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