Orzo is the small rice-shaped pasta commonly used in Greek giouvetsi.
Although orzo resembles rice, it is made from wheat, usually durum wheat semolina. In Greece it is called kritharaki, a name that refers to its barley-grain appearance. Giouvetsi typically combines this pasta with meat and a tomato-based sauce, often baking the mixture in an earthenware dish.
Orzo is an Italian word meaning “barley,” and the pasta is used across Mediterranean cooking. Its shape makes it useful in soups, salads, pilafs, and baked dishes. It should not be confused with risoni, although the two names can refer to essentially the same rice-shaped pasta in different markets.