Beef & Orzo Mediterranean Style

Submitted by Matthew Molus

"Quick-fix skillet supper with orzo pasta, ground beef, spinach, oregano, and tomatoes. So easy to make, great for those nights when you don't feel like cooking, but don't want fast food."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 -4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes
• 1 1⁄2 cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces dried orzo pasta (1 cup)
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1⁄2 - 3⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese

directions

1. Sprinkle salt into a 10 to 12 inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Crumble beef into pan and cook, stirring often, until meat begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in onion, and continue to cook, stirring, until onion is soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard excess fat.
2. Add garlic, tomatoes (break them up with a spoon) and their liquid, broth, oregano, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil then stir in pasta. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until pasta is tender to bite, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, squeeze as much liquid as possible from spinach. Stir spinach into pasta mixture just until heated through. Serve with cheese to add to taste.

Reviews

[Elecia J.]

Turned out great ... I used ground turkey (that's what I had) ... I used 2 10oz cans of tomatoes w/green chilies ... I like it spicy so I seasoned the meat with Bold creole seasoning .. Followed directions as stated (including the seasoning) and it turned out wonderful... I used fresh spinach/kale/chard mix (I hate frozen spinach) and it was perfect ... Also used feta cheese instead of Parmesan (that's what I had on hand) ... Just sprinkled a little feta on top of the individual servings !! Great recipe .. Easy to follow ... LOVE IT !!!!

 

[wineo]

This is my go-to dinner for week nights. I made mine without Spinach and Tomato and it turned out delicious. I topped with fresh Parsley and grated Pecorino Romano. It's a dangerous dish... as in too easy to eat too much.

 

[m.dugdale8027]

Delicious and very easy! My kids and I loved it. The only changes I made were, I used fresh spinach instead of frozen, and beef bouillon, instead of broth. This easy dish is a winner!

 

[Mardirockwell65]

Very hearty and tasty. Used rotel tomatoes and orzo garbanzo pasta. And organic beef.

 

[Julie S.]

I add 1/4 cup olive oil to fry the 90% lean ground beef. Do not drain. This was from the original Greek recipe site.