Kritharotto Thalassinon: A Simple Seafood Delight with Orzo
Greek cuisine has a wonderful ability to elevate the natural flavours of its ingredients, combining them in such a way that each bite tells a story of the land and sea. One dish that perfectly embodies this philosophy is Kritharotto Thalassinon, a traditional Greek seafood dish made with orzo (kritharaki in Greek) cooked in a light tomato and white wine sauce. The beauty of Kritharotto lies in its simplicity, allowing the flavours of the seafood to truly shine without being overshadowed by a heavy sauce.
What is Kritharotto Thalassinon?
Kritharotto Thalassinon is a Greek take on a creamy risotto, but instead of the traditional rice, orzo—a small, rice-shaped pasta—is used. This dish is a celebration of the sea, with an assortment of fresh seafood, such as shrimp, mussels, squid, and sometimes fish, gently simmered in a light, flavourful tomato-based sauce. White wine adds a delicate acidity to the dish, while the natural juices from the seafood enrich the sauce, creating a comforting yet refreshing dish.
This dish embodies the Greek love for simplicity—few ingredients are needed, but when prepared with care, the resulting dish is deeply satisfying, bursting with the natural sweetness and brininess of the sea.
We're lucky that almost all seafood mongers sell pre-prepared seafood marinara mixes, and for great value, too! If you're having a hard time finding a seafood good mix, you can always ask your monger for a little of everything. I have done this many times selecting, a piece of salmon or a few pieces of whiting, that I cut into small pieces at home, 10 prawns, 10 mussels, calamari rings, 5 small baby octopus that I cut in half, and lots of clams (Vongole) in available. This is also a great way to manage what types of seafood you'd like to add to the dish. If you like only prawns and mussels, then grab 500 grams of both! You can adjust this recipe so easily to your seafood preferences.
What wine do I use? When cooking seafood dishes, I always use Sauvignon Blanc. It's versatile with all cooking, flavoursome yet light, and compliments the seafood.
KRITHAROTTO THALASSINON | Seafood Orzo
Mary PolitisIngredients
- 1 kg fresh assorted seafood
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 150 g tomato passata
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 400 g kritharaki aka orzo pasta
- 1 tbsp vegetable stock paste or 1 stock cube
- 1 L hot water plus more when needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Begin by diluting the stock paste or stock cube in the hot water and set aside.
- Place a large deep pan over medium high heat and add olive oil and onions. Constantly stir to sweat off the onions then add the garlic and stir for another minute until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and white wine. Allow the white wine to cook off for approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the kritharaki to the pan and pour in the stock, tomato passata, add the dried oregano, and stir everything well. Allow it to come to a simmer.
- As the kritharaki starts to cook you may need to add some more water. 5 minutes before the kritharaki is ready and has developed a risotto like consistency, add the seafood and stir it through gently as it cooks. Season to taste and garnish with fresh parsley.