Yiouvetsi (Oven-baked Orzo with Lamb) is a traditional Cypriot recipe for a classic dish of orzo pasta cooked in a base of lamb, meat broth and tomatoes that's oven baked to cook. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cypriot version of: Oven-baked Orzo with Lamb (Yiouvetsi).
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Ingredients
1kg lamb, cut into 4cm cubes
300g kitharaki (this is the Cypriot name for orzo, rice-shaped pasta)
60g grated cheese
250ml hot meat broth
100g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
120ml tomato purée
120ml corn oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry for about 4 minutes or until soft. Add the meat and stir until they are lightly browned. In the meantime, dissolve the tomato purée in the hot meat broth then pour this into the pan along with the chopped tomatoes. Season to taste, stir to combine then bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 60 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
Twenty minutes before serving prepare the pasta. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and pour in the kitharaki. Bring back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes then drain the pasta.
Turn the meat mixture into an earthenware baking dish (the traditional one is called a 'yiouvetsi' and has very deep sides; a deep casserole dish can be substituted) then stir in the pasta to mix before transferring to an oven pre-heated to 200°C. Bake for 20 minutes then sprinkle over the grated cheese and serve immediately.
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