This simple one dish recipe uses orzo pasta, tomatoes, ground beef, and feta cheese for a delicious Greek inspired meal. I always use fresh rosemary in this, because dried rosemary is just a bunch of little needles. If you can't find fresh rosemary, just omit it; this recipe has plenty of flavor. And those olives in the picture are stuffed with garlic. If you can find them, use them - they add wonderful flavor.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced olives
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/3 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
Preparation:
Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in large skillet. Drain well. Add bell pepper, pasta, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper; stir to combine, making sure pasta is covered by liquid.
Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 11-13 minutes, stirring frequently, until orzo is tender. I stir this every two minutes. The orzo has a tendency to sink to the bottom of the skillet and stick. You need to scrape the bottom of the skillet well every two minutes.
Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese and olives over casserole. Cover and let stand 2-4 minutes until cheese softens. Meanwhile, combine sour cream, rosemary, and cherry tomatoes in small bowl. Spoon this mixture over the food and serve immediately. 5 servings
