Mushroom and orzo casserole - Giouvetsi
A fasting dish that highlights the value of austerity in monastic cuisine. An authentic recipe from Mount Athos for giouvetsi with mushrooms in the oven that is very easy to make. Characteristic of the dish is the restraint in the choice of the multitude of the ingredients, but without lagging behind in taste, something that generally characterizes monks kitchen.
We heat the olive oil in a saucepan and saute the mushrooms until they turn brown and reduce in volume.
Then, we add the onion and garlic and continue sauteing.
Then, we pour the tomato paste and the juice from the tomatoes into the pot.
We add 2 liters of water to the pot and bring the sauce to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, we season our sauce well with salt and pepper.
As soon as it boils well, we lower the heat and pour in the orzo.
We mix all the ingredients well and transfer the contents of the pot to an ovenproof dish.
We bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Alternative, we can finish the food in the pot, simmering it for about 20 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't stick.
We could divide the contents of the pot into individual clay pots instead of 1 ovenproof pot.
If we cook the food on a catalysis day, we can sprinkle with some grated cheese before baking it in the oven.
We can also make the giouvetsi in an oil-free version, just frizzle the onions in a little water instead of oil.
We never wash the mushrooms because they absorb moisture and "water" the food. If you want, clean them slightly with a wet kitchen paper.
