Easy
4–6
By Tessa Kiros
Published 2004
Some people like to serve this with cubes of feta or haloumi stirred in at the end so that they melt a bit. Risoni or orzo pasta is like a large grain of rice and you can use any small noodle instead, although the cooking time will probably vary. If you prefer, use one big piece of meat on the bone instead of cubes, and just break it up into portions for serving. The meat must be very soft, so cook it as long as it needs before adding the pasta to the casserole for the last 15 minutes.
Rinse the pasta in a fine sieve or colander, drain and add to the casserole. Mix through, cover and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and has absorbed most of the sauce. The cooking time will depend on the pasta — it takes longer to cook in the oven, so pasta that needs 7 minutes on the stovetop will take 15 minutes in the oven. You may need to add a little more hot water if it seems too dry. Serve hot, sprinkled with the grated cheese.
If you are not serving this immediately, remove the casserole from the oven before the pasta is completely cooked — the residual heat in the casserole dish will finish off the cooking.
© 2004 All rights reserved. Published by Murdoch Books.