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greek lamb with orzo

miffed13 avatar
Recipe by
LINDA BAILEY
@miffed13
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI

My mom found a recipe for Greek Lamb with Orzo in a magazine Cooking Light or Eating Well or one of those types and tried it out on us. It was a hit and became a mainstay of our family meals even today.

yield 10 serving(s)
prep time 25 Min
cook time 1 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For greek lamb with orzo

  • 1 lb
    ground lamb
  • 1 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 1 lg
    yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 6 clove
    garlic, sliced thinly
  • 2 tsp
    ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp
    dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 2 tsp
    ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp
    crushed red pepper
  • 28 oz can
    of whole tomatoes, drained and smooshed with your hands
  • 14 oz can
    chopped/diced tomatoes
  • 5 oz
    fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1 lb
    orzo pasta
  • 2 c
    chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 c
    lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 2 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 c
    kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
  • 1/2 c
    crumbled feta

How To Make greek lamb with orzo

  • 1
    In a good sized Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pan, heat the one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Add the lamb and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Cook, stirring to break it apart, until it is nicely browned.
  • 2
    Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon and drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Return the pot to the stove top and add the onion and garlic (still over medium high). Cook, stirring occasionally,until they are softened and golden,about 5 minutes.
  • 3
    Stir in the spices cinnamon,oregano,cumin, coriander and red pepper and cook until they start smelling extremely toasty and fragrant (1-2 minutes). Then stir in the smooshed tomatoes. Cook the smooshed tomatoes in the spices stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
  • 4
    Then, add the can of diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the cooked lamb back to the pot,give a good stir. Then cover the pot and leave it to cook,stirring from time to time for 20 minutes.
  • 5
    At this point, stir in the fresh spinach and cook just a couple more minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste (keeping in mind you'll be sprinkling just a touch of feta and olives on, which will add to the saltiness).
  • 6
    While the lamb and tomatoes are simmering together and marrying their flavors,bring a large pot of well-salted water (it should taste like sea water,basically) to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente,about 7-8 minutes usually. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
  • 7
    Drain the orzo. Toss the orzo with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil,the lemon juice and all of the parsley. Add a bit of pasta water at a time if you feel it needs additional liquid. Spread the orzo out on an enormous serving platter.
  • 8
    Spoon the lamb and sauce all over the top,then sprinkle with the feta and chopped olives. Pass the dish around the table and relax. A good red wine on the dry side,is a highly recommended companion here.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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