"Greek" Lamb with Orzo
Look at this feast! Dig in.
Don't worry, you won't need to do this -- but we think it's fun.
First step: get your oil all hot and shimmering.
And in goes the lamb.
After it looks like this, remove it and set aside.
Allium time.
Toss in your garlic, and cook until softened. Then add your spices.
One spice...
Two spice...
Three spice, four.
Add the tomatoes (smooshed first, thank you), making sure to scrape up the goodness on the bottom of the pan.
After 10 minutes, you're free to add the diced tomatoes.
And a bit of water. Now let this bubble away.
Remember the lamb? Its comeback is now.
Flavors need privacy to marry, you know.
While that does its thing, the orzo takes a plunge.
Then it gets tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and...
A whole lot of green. Now all you need to do is stir the spinach into your lamb mixture, and you're destined for dinner.
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Author Notes: About a million years ago, when my brothers and I were just starting to be adventurous enough to eat foods other than Norwegian meatballs or fish cakes, 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. It was also the recipe she sent to each of us, successively, when we needed something easy but impressive to cook for friends in college. It's still one of my favorite meals, and a wonderful way to easily serve a crowd. Of course, as I've evolved, my lamb with orzo has evolved as well, gathering additional ingredients and spices like a glacier gathering stones. Very recently, I made April Bloomfield's lamb meatballs in spicy sauce, and it knocked my socks off with its deliciousness. It also reminded me of my lamb with orzo -- which by this point had already become more "Greek" flavored than Greek flavored -- so I adapted some of her techniques, adding them to the mix.
What makes this a cheap feast? When I think of a feast, besides feeding a crowd, I feel like it ought to have some little elements of decadence, some richness that makes it feel ever so above the ordinary. But, if it needs to be cheap, this means you must be clever and judicious with your fancier ingredients, scattering them with elegance rather than ebullience, and stretching them with simpler, complementary, ingredients. I feel like this dish does just that. - fiveandspice
Food52 Review: WHO: Fiveandspice is a long-time Food52-er who works nothing but magic in the kitchen.
WHAT: A filling -- and exciting -- dinner that goes from stove to the table in under an hour.
HOW: Cook up a pot of saucy, fragrant lamb, and then all that's left is a quick boil of the pasta.
WHY WE LOVE IT: The process is straightforward, but the finished dish doesn't taste that way; in terms of eating and cooking, it's a win-win. And you only have to dirty two pots! We'd run out for the ingredients now, if we were you. - A&M
Serves 8-10
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 28 ounces can of whole tomatoes, drained and smooshed with your hands (fun!)
- 14 ounces can of chopped/diced tomatoes
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 pound orzo pasta
- 2 cups chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 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. 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. 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. Then, add the can of diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then 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. 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).
- 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 or 8 minutes, usually. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Drain the orzo. Toss the orzo with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, and all of the parsley, adding a bit of pasta water at a time, if you feel it needs additional liquid.
- Spread the orzo out on an enormous serving platter. 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.
- Your Best Cheap Feast Contest Winner!
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2 days ago tastysweet
If I keep the orzo separate from the lamb mixture, can I freeze this? Also thought about putting chopped dried mission figs or dates in it. BTW: I love orzo and use it a lot inlieu of rice.
2 days ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Yes, definitely! It reheats quite nicely. And, I bet chopped dried figs or dates would be delicious in it.
6 days ago Glitterpunk87
Very tasty. My husband is from the Mediterranean and I'm always on the hunt for twists on those basic favors. This fit the bill at every turn. Easy, wonderfully fragrant, enough for a crowd, absolutely delectable, and looks elegant on a platter. Thank you for sharing.
6 days ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thank you! Glad it went over well!
12 days ago chefbonandee
Made this a few days ago. The grocery store I went to after work didn't have ground lamb, and I couldn't muster the strength to drive to another store, so I subbed in ground bison. Also used a dry mix of wild rice and lentils in place of the orzo, but still treated it as you do the orzo in the recipe. I added chopped crimini mushrooms to the meat mixture, and topped each plate of food with a big dollop of greek yogurt. It turned out so great! Amazing layers of flavor, the boyfriend cleaned his plate, and I felt light and healthy after having it for lunch. Will definitely be making this again.
12 days ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Love your creative adaptations! I'm glad you guys liked it so much! I definitely always feel really light and healthy after eating this one too. There's something so fresh and just the right level of filling about it.
14 days ago Carolyn T
Oh my gosh, Emily! This dish was beyond fabulous. I didn't have orzo, so used farfalline (baby bowties) and I had arugula instead of spinach, but am sure those alterations did not change the great flavors. My hubby and I both nearly licked our plates. Thanks for your great recipe. Loved the story about your mom and how you have made additions to the original. I've signed up for your blog via RSS. I looked for the recipe on your blog?? Couldn't find it. I want to link to it . . . you need to write it up!
14 days ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thank you so much Carolyn! I'm absolutely thrilled you guys enjoyed it so much, and your alterations sound like they worked deliciously. You're right, this recipe isn't on my blog. It's one of the funny things about my blog that I realized lately, which is that a number of my most staple meals never have made it on the blog because I make them on nights when I'm not in the mood to drag out my camera. But, I'm trying to get better about capturing those ones too - since they're some of the best! So, hopefully it'll be on there one of these days soon. :)
23 days ago karencooks
I made this recipe last night and it is fantastic. What flavor!!!
22 days ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thank you so much! Glad to hear you liked it so much!
27 days ago JanetFL
Congratulations on your win - this sounds wonderful! I will be making it for a get-together that will occur at the beginning of June. Can't wait!
22 days ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
That's great! Hope you all enjoy it!
about 1 month ago pamelalee
I cooked a double batch of this today, and I'm so glad I didI Now I can share it with my friend, also a food52 fan, who just delivered her fifth child a few weeks early.
30 days ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
How nice of you! Congratulations and good luck to your friend on her newest addition! :)
about 1 month ago foxeslovelemons
Congratulations! This dish looks excellent, and I usually have all of these ingredients on hand, so I'll be trying it out soon :)
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Hope you enjoy it!
about 1 month ago Daralynn Hall Luburgh
Made this last night and it was sooooo delicious! Got to enjoy the leftovers for lunch - yay! Congratulations on your win. I will make this again for sure!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thank you Daralynn! That's awesome! (And, it does make great lunch leftovers doesn't it?! :) )
about 1 month ago kxr173
Amazing dish! I multiplied it by 6 and made it to feed a huge crowd of 60 middle school boys as part of an after school dinner program for underserved & underprivileged kids in the city. I chose this because it has veggies, flavor and is beautiful to serve. The boys loved it, even the skeptical ones & this was a hit with all of the volunteers on staff. I was glad to provide a warm, healthy meal on budget to these children. I used grass fed beef and served with some warmed pita slices and raw veggies with tzatziki dip to encourage the kids to eat as many veggies as possible. Getting nervous that I didn't make enough, I added some cooked lentils into the meat mixture to stretch it. Turns out I didn't need it, but the leftovers for the faculty to enjoy for lunch the next day were greatly appreciated. Meals like this give me hope that we can teach people that a delicious, nutritious meal can be prepared on a tight budget and families don't have to eat fast food to enjoy a decent meal. I look forward to adding this recipe to my own dinner rotation. Thank you again for sharing!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
That is SO cool! I'm overwhelmed by the thought of so many people trying and enjoying this meal. Thanks for letting me know, and thanks for the good work you're doing! Those sorts of programs are so incredibly important.
about 1 month ago Oui, Chef
fiveandspice rocks on! Congratulations on this awesome dish and another well deserved win.
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thanks Steve! (And great to hear from you! It sounds like you've been crazy busy!)
about 1 month ago QueenOfGreen
Made this last night for a finicky group: the girl who swore she hated cumin loved it; the girl who refuses anything with parsley loved it; the girl who turns her nose up at all things coriander/cilantro loved it. Well done you!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
That is absolutely fabulous!
about 1 month ago krusher
Cooked this for dinner last night. It went over very well. Definitely a keeper. Thanks.
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
I'm so glad to hear it!
about 1 month ago lil chef
This is delicious! Served with bulgur instead of the orzo and added about 1/4 cup of currants to the pot when I added the lamb to the tomatoes. The sweetness played really well off the saltiness of the feta and olives!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Awesome! I'm glad to hear that it was good with bulgur, and I love the addition of currants. I'll try that next time.
about 1 month ago inpatskitchen
Congratulations on the win! A wonderful "Cheap Feast"!!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thanks IPK!
about 1 month ago QueenSashy
It's truly a magical dish, congrats on the win!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thank you very kindly QS!
about 1 month ago Kukla
Congratulations on your winning recipe, Emily! I am very happy for you!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thanks so much Kukla!
about 1 month ago nannydeb
Congratulations! Looks yummy!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
Thank you!
about 1 month ago Emily_JK
Happy to report that subbing the lamb with chickpeas and seitan sausage turns this into a wildly enjoyable (and even cheaper!)vegetarian fest!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
That is wonderful to hear! I've always wondered how this would be with chickpeas, but sadly since I can't eat chickpeas (SO sad!) I've never tried it myself.
about 1 month ago Charon Eve
Can't think of anything more cruel than lamb, so I will definitely try with the chickpeas! (I make chili with them, putting them first in the food processor to mimic the crumbliness of ground beef).
about 1 month ago conniejac
This sounds fantastic! I was going to make lamb meatballs for the dinner party I'm hosting next weekend but instead I'm going to try to double this recipe for my group of 18.
Two questions, 1. do you think I'd be able to prepare some of this in advance (or even earlier that day) and reheat? and 2. Originally I was going to do a simple greek salad for the lamb meatballs but now switching mains I'm struggling to find the appropriate side dish for this feast as it appears to have all our basis covered.
Thanks in advance!
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
It definitely works well to prepare it in advance. The orzo doesn't reheat quite as well (which is not surprising), but the lamb part you can definitely make ahead of time, cool, then reheat on the stovetop over gentle heat with the cover on the pot. As far as sides go, I so usually serve a salad with it, though a Greek salad might be a little bit much of a double up on the feta and olives. I like to do a simple salad with greens, maybe some sliced oranges, maybe some shaved fennel, and a lemon and olive oil dressing. Once I served it with a citrus and avocado salad, which is not exactly Mediterranean, but was still pretty tasty on the side. An arugula salad with chopped dates and pickled red onions, and maybe some toasted almonds, might be fun and a nice contrast too.
about 1 month ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
I *do* usually serve, not "so usually serve."
about 1 month ago conniejac
Thank you! Yes, I agree a green salad would work better than a Greek- feta and olive overload (although that doesn't sound so bad either!)