Youvetsi
Lamb baked with orzo in a cinnamon-spiced tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 900 g Lamb shoulder
- 400 g Orzo
- 1 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 400 g Canned tomatoes
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1000 ml Chicken stock
- 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 100 g Feta (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- While the oven heats, cube the lamb into roughly 4 cm pieces and pat dry.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown the lamb on all sides, working in batches so the pieces don't steam, about 6 minutes.
- While the lamb browns, chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Tip in the canned tomatoes and tuck in the cinnamon stick, then simmer to bring the sauce together, about 3 minutes.
- Season with the salt, cover, and braise in the oven until the lamb is tender, about 50 minutes.
- Stir in the orzo and stock and bake until the pasta is tender and creamy, about 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, crumble the feta over, and serve from the dish.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Youvetsi
Youvetsi is a Greek baked casserole of meat and orzo, traditionally cooked in an earthenware dish that gives the dish its name. Lamb shoulder is browned and braised in a tomato sauce warmed with a cinnamon stick, then finished in the oven with orzo that drinks up the flavorful liquid. It is Sunday-lunch food and celebration food, the kind of one-pot roast that fills a house with the smell of spiced meat as it slowly tenderizes.
The character comes from that cinnamon-spiced tomato base, a hallmark of Greek meat cookery that lends a gentle warmth rather than sweetness, against rich, fall-apart lamb and orzo cooked risotto-like until plump and saucy. Browning the lamb in batches so it sears rather than steams is what builds the deep, savory foundation, and a crumble of feta over the top adds a salty, tangy counterpoint. Serve it straight from the pot with a green salad and bread to catch the sauce; at around an hour and a half it is a project for an unhurried afternoon, but almost all of that time is hands-off braising.
Youvetsi: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Youvetsi?
A serving has about 827 calories — 39g protein, 63g carbs, 45.3g fat, 4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 39g of protein, roughly 19% of its calories.
Is Youvetsi gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Orzo. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Is Youvetsi dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Feta. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Youvetsi take to make?
About 90 minutes start to finish, but only around 22 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Youvetsi?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out feta — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Youvetsi make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.