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Toasted Orzo with Shrimp and Mussels
We learned this dish, called kritharoto, in Thessaloniki, at Tiffany’s x 1905, a restaurant serving modern Greek fare. There, chef Theodoris Pastourmatzis used four varieties of seafood, along with cognac and three different alliums. Our version is streamlined enough for a weeknight dinner. Toasting the orzo brings out sweet, wheaty notes and prevents the dish from becoming too starchy. If you prefer clams over mussels, use a small hard-shell variety, such as littleneck or Manila; the cooking time remains the same. And if you don’t have fresh oregano but do have parsley, feel free to swap. Be sure to use a Dutch oven rather than a tall, narrow pot, as the ingredients need a broad surface area.
4-6
Servings
Tip
Don’t forget to occasionally stir the orzo as it cooks before the mussels are added, and scrape along the bottom of the pot. The amount of water is minimal, so the mixture will be quite thick and prone to sticking.
40 minutes
Ingredients
-
1
cup orzo
-
4
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Directions
-
01In a Dutch oven over medium, toast the orzo, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl. To the pot over medium, add 2 tablespoons oil and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, wine, half the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the orzo, lemon zest and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then cover, reduce to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is just shy of al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Reviews
March 17, 2026
Excellent - quick and tasty
Very easy and a different take on pasta with seafood. I used basil instead of oregano, because it's what I had on hand, and it turned out great.
November 16, 2025
Simple and tasty
Made this for my husband since I can't eat shrimp but it came together very quickly with ingredients I had in the house and he licked his plate clean. He said it was very flavorful. Only change was to use a can of drained diced tomatoes since I did not have fresh but I bet it would be fantastic with fresh.
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