Manestra — Greek Chicken with Orzo in Tomato Sauce

Manestra is pure comfort food in a bowl.

When I lived in Athens, I would often make my way to the central market in the early morning hours and indulge in a steaming bowl of hearty Manestra.

The meat and produce stalls had all closed up by that time of night/morning. However, an enticing aroma would be wafting through the market’s corridors. I would follow my nose and finally arrive at a few food stalls serving the most rustic of dishes. They sat in bubbling vats on display behind a glass counter. I would always choose this. It immediately would conjure up childhood memories of my yiayia’s food because she would also cook a version of this for me. And its stick-to-your-bones goodness would stave off any hangovers and fortify me for the day ahead.

What is Manestra?

Manestra is a humble one-pot dish common throughout Greece. At its most simple, it’s just orzo (the Greeks call it kitharaki) in tomato sauce. But it’s so satisfying at the same time! You can make that sauce from tomato paste or with canned or fresh tomatoes (wait until they’re in season). Additionally, you can dress it up and make it heartier with a little chicken or other meat. That’s what I’ve done here, because that’s how I remember eating it. Throw in a little oregano and salty cheese like parmesan, romano, or kefalotiri, and you are good to go!

Recipe options

This Manestra recipe comes out more like a stew, but you can always add extra water or tomatoes to make it more soupy. It all depends on how you want to eat it. Don’t underestimate the starch from the orzo though. It will really thicken up. If you have leftovers to reheat, add a little water to loosen it up when you do.

Also, you can use any type of chicken. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken legs all work. You could also sub in another type of meat, or leave it out all together. 

Manestra — Greek Chicken with Orzo in Tomato Sauce

Yum

Cuisine Greek

Category Entree Greek Food Greek Recipes One Pot Meals Pasta Recipes

Persons

4

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

30 minutes

Manestra is a humble dish one-pot dish common throughout Greece. At its most simple, it's just orzo (in Greek called kitharaki) in tomato sauce. You can make that sauce from tomato paste or with canned or fresh tomatoes (wait till they're in season). But you can also dress it up a bit and make it heartier with a little chicken or other meat. That's what I've done here, because that's how I remember eating it.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, or passata
• 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/3 cup kefalotiri or pecorino romano cheese, grated + extra for garnish
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 10 minutes.
3. Once chicken has browned, add chopped onion and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Stir in garlic (I like to grate it with a microplane), and oregano. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until it's fragrant.
5. Pour in the orzo and coat it with the other ingredients for 1 minute.
6. Stir in the tomatoes with 3 cups of water.
7. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to keep orzo from sticking.
8. Uncover, give it a good stir. Test to make sure your orzo is cooked. Turn off heat.
9. Mix in 1/3 cup kefalotiri (or romano) cheese.
10. Ladel out into bowls. Garnish with additional cheese to taste.

Notes

This Manestra recipe comes out more like a stew, but you can always add extra water or tomatoes to make it more soupy. It all depends on how you want to eat it. Don't underestimate the starch from the orzo though. It will really thicken up.

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© 2024 © Christina Xenos

Nutrition Facts

Manestra — Greek Chicken with Orzo in Tomato Sauce

Serves: 4 servings

Amount Per Serving:
Calories		404.86 kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.49 g		15.4%
	Saturated Fat 3.2 g	15%
	Trans Fat 0.01 g
Cholesterol 94.22 mg		31.3%
Sodium 703.12 mg		29.3%
Total Carbohydrate 41.08 g		13.7%
	Dietary Fiber 6.1 g	24%
	Sugars 7.57 g
Protein 36.3 g

Vitamin A 7.0 %		Vitamin C 30.89 %
Calcium 22.19 %		Iron 14.49 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Sweet Greek Personal Chef and Culinary Services Los Angeles, CA