Description
Manestra is a cozy Greek comfort dish that combines tender orzo, seasoned ground meat, and a tomato-mint-cinnamon sauce that’s both simple and deeply satisfying. This one-pot recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners and family meals, bursting with Mediterranean warmth. Whether you use beef, lamb, or turkey, this dish is high in protein and packed with flavor. #greekrecipes #comfortfood #onepotmeals #orzo #highproteinrecipes #easyrecipes #homemaderecipes #quickdinnerideas #finecooking
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 lb ground beef, lamb, or turkey
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 heaping teaspoon dried spearmint (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint)
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup orzo (whole wheat or regular)
- Optional for Serving: Grated Romano cheese
- Fresh chopped mint or parsley
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until softened and slightly browned.
- Add ground meat and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned.
- Stir in tomato paste, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and mint. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting the tomato paste brown slightly.
- Add water and bring to a boil.
- Stir in orzo, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is cooked and the mixture is thickened.
- Serve hot, topped with Romano cheese, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
Notes
- Use the back burner for gentler simmering to avoid sticking.
- Great for meal prep—leftovers taste even better the next day.
- Can be adapted to vegetarian by omitting meat and using veggie broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 486 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 610 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg