At the supermarket, you’ll want either risoni or risi—Italian terms—or kritharaki, “Greek noodles,” or noodle rice.
What is Kritharaki?
The term rice noodles is misleading. These are long, “regular” noodles made from rice flour and are an integral part of Thai cuisine. Risi or Kritharaki, like pasta, is made from durum wheat semolina and cooked in hot salted water like these. Six minutes is enough, but it doesn’t have to be al dente. A hearty tomato soup in Greek manestra, you can let them swell so that the soup is nice and thick.
How do I cook Kritharaki properly?
In principle, Kritharaki is as flexible in preparation as any other type of pasta. It tastes great with tomato sauce or pesto, with vegetables, anchovies, capers, in salads or as a side dish. Advantages: Easy to eat with a spoon – this is especially good for children. If you do not boil them in boiling salted water, but gradually pour the liquid, for example, vegetable broth, they will absorb the aroma.
However, above all, they are a good substitute for rice, such as stuffed tomatoes or risotto. Preparation does not require great skills. While risotto is a delicate ingredient and rice becomes sticky like sticky if you don’t mix it enough, with “pastasotto” it is enough to boil it until it is soft.
Pasta sotto with ham and peas
For a five-minute meal like a ham and pea pasta sotto, heat the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped leeks and uncooked risoni, and sweat everything briefly with the diced ham. Pour in the hot vegetable broth, lower the temperature and add the lemon or lime juice. Reduce the vegetable juice and pour it over. until the risoni is the right consistency. Add the peas (frozen items work too), add the yogurt, season with salt and pepper if needed, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Since Kritharaki is especially popular in Greek cuisine, there are many Greek recipes, such as mince casserole and feta cheese. Serve with eggplant, tomatoes and black olives.
Sunday lunch: Giouvetsi
A typical Greek Sunday recipe is Giouvetsi. Kritharaki is slowly cooked in a tomato-meat sauce in the oven until it absorbs the flavor of the sauce. Traditionally, Giouvetsi is served with braised beef or lamb, but beef or chicken variants are also possible.