Chicken Youvetsi
Orzo pasta and chicken are baked in a rich tomato sauce laced with red wine and cinnamon in this crowd-pleasing Greek dish - it'll have your family yelling opa! by the end of the meal.
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 large skinless, bone-in chicken breasts
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp unsalted tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups jarred or boxed unsalted diced tomatoes
- 2 4-inch sticks cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup (6 oz) whole-wheat orzo pasta
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot on medium-high, heat 1⁄2 tbsp oil. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. To Dutch oven, add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from Dutch oven and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1⁄2 tbsp oil to Dutch oven. Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and tomato paste, sauté for 1 minute, stirring. Add wine, and cook for 1 more minute, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a spoon.
- Add broth, tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaf and oregano. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Return chicken to Dutch oven, placing meat side down in liquid. Cover, turn off heat and transfer to oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove from oven and uncover. Stir in pasta and 2 cups boiling water. Return to oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes, until orzo is tender and liquid is almost entirely absorbed (it will thicken further upon standing).
- Use tongs to transfer chicken to a cutting board. Remove and discard cinnamon and bay leaf. Cover Dutch oven to keep warm. Let chicken cool about 5 minutes, then remove meat from bone and shred into large chunks.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 1/3 cups chicken-orzo mixture and 1 tbsp cheese
- Calories 407
- Carbohydrate Content 40 g
- Cholesterol Content 99 mg
- Fat Content 9 g
- Fiber Content 7 g
- Protein Content 41 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 554 mg
- Sugar Content 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 1 g