Vegetarian friendly

Youvetsi

published

Sep 2025

I saw this recipe in a social media post from Business Insider. The author, Anneta Konstantinides, reports on her father’s attempts to recreate a favorite dish from his home country of Greece. The article is worth a read and can be found here.

The original recipe calls for beef stew meat chunks, but because I am allergic to beef and pork (and all other mammal meat except primate), I substitute portabella mushroom chunks. I’m also thinking that next time I make it I will add some Greek olives, as well.

Ingredients

  • 4 portobello mushroom caps
  • 16 oz Orzo
  • 1 cup tomato-based pasta sauce
  • 1 lemon, juice
  • 1 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
  • 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 cup (or so) feta cheese (1/4 block)
  • Shredded parmesan
  • ~ 2 Tablespoons oregano (separated, 1 for the mushroom roasting, 1 for sprinkling over mushrooms & feta)
  • ~ 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
  • Red wine (about 2/3 cup)
  • Olive oil

Instructions

  1. Cut mushroom caps into chunks and roast, tossed in the olive oil and red wine, with garlic powder & oregano, at 350 for 20 minutes. This can be done ahead. Mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, but don’t forget to save the liquids.
  2. Juice the lemon and set aside Chop the parsley, onion, and garlic Chop feta cheese into small chunks
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  4. With a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms from the pan with their juices, and spread evenly in the bottom of a large (e.g. 9 X 13) baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the feta cheese among them. Sprinkle oregano over that.
  5. In a 4 cup measuring cup, put the pasta sauce, the juices from the mushrooms, and the lemon juice. Add water to bring volume up to 4 cups.
  6. In a large pot, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom, and sauté the onions, garlic, and parsley until the onion begins to become translucent and the parsley becomes bright green.
  7. Add the 4 cups of liquid and when it boils, add the orzo and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes then remove from heat and ladle the contents of the pot over the mushrooms & feta, evenly distributing the orzo. Sprinkle parmesan over the top and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes or so to let the juices absorb.

Enjoy!

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