Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

I am so happy the tomatoes are still plentiful this season. I discovered this dish a while ago, but I have not had all of the ingredients to make it. I tell ya, strange things are going on here in So Cal. A week ago it was raining and then a few days later it was 90 degrees. Then it cooled down briefly and now it's about to be 90 again. I just can't handle this. In fact, my body is not responding well to this roller coaster and I haven't been feeling so great the last few days. When I saw this dish, I knew I wanted to try some dill in it. Unfortunately the dill at the farmers market was not in good shape because of the rain, but fortunately I got a great deal (free!) on it. It took me a while to get this done with all the prep work, but otherwise it's a straightforward dish that really delivers on flavor. I wanted to healthy this up a bit with whole wheat orzo, but my teeny, little Bev Hills Whole Foods just does not stock the stuff (or maybe it's hidden). Regardless, despite the feta, this only requires a small bit of oil so you get great flavor for not a lot of fat and a dish that is very satisfying to eat.

Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta



Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta
(From Closet Cooking)

Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup orzo
2 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh herbs, chopped (I used a mix of dill and parsley)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup crumbled feta

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

In a medium saucepan cook the orzo for about 8 minutes until just al dente, but not soft (the pasta will cook more while baking).

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the white wine, tomato and oregano and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the herbs and green onions. Mix the sauce, orzo and shrimp, place in a baking dish topped and top with the feta.

Bake until the shrimp is cooked and the sauce is bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.

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21 comments:

Erica said...

Shrimp feta and orzo- what a fabulous combination. I bet this dish was filling and comforting. Nice work chicky ;)

Maria said...

I don't make orzo enough, thanks for the reminder! Looks great!

lisaiscooking said...

Sounds fantatic! Love the look of your shrimp in this.

Fresh Local and Best said...

This looks like a wonderful dish, it's beautiful. I'm happy that you have such wonderful choices at the farmers market, the tomatoes here are long gone.

Diana said...

I think this recipe is almost identical to the version I made last year! But yours looks much better. :) I love the addition of dill!

P.S. The only WF where've I've seen the WW orzo is the one on SaMo and Fairfax. I stock up on a few bags whenever I'm there.

Jenn said...

I just got me some orzo over the weekend. I'm going have to try this dish. All I need is the shrimp.

Esi said...

Diana, thanks for the tip on WW orzo. May pass by there this weekend!

Olga said...

Love orzo, shrimp and feta! Don't think it smells like sh*t at all :)

The Food Librarian said...

This looks just lovely! I picked up some tomatoes at my farmers market too! - m

Mary Bergfeld said...

I love dishes like this. One of my favorite quick meals is shrimp with feta. I use angels hair to make mine but I'm going to give your recipe a try.

The Cooking Photographer said...

Hi Esi,

Free dill? I think I like your farmers market! I'm so hungry right now and I'm staring at this thing while still a two hour drive from home and then there is dessert below....

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

What a great combo of shrimp and feta. Nice work!

The Duo Dishes said...

This weather is a hot mess. Hot, cold, hot. It's very Katy Perry. We're going to do an orzo dish very soon. It's one of the things you see on someone's plate and want to eat.

angela@spinachtiger said...

Shrimp and orzo is good start for any dish. Looks beautiful.

Simones Kitchen said...

Yep, the weather is very messy here as well. Raining now, sunny yesterday, cold the one day, warm the next... O well, it must be getting into autumn! I love this dish!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love anything with feta. Can't wait to try this, vegetarian-style.

Chef Fresco said...

We made a dish very similar to this, it was delicious! Nice work

Belle and Ward said...

This looks so good! Pasta and shrimp dishes are always a big hit at our place. ~ Belle

Alicia Foodycat said...

Oh wow - I have to try this!

test it comm said...

I have really been into these baked shrimp and feta dishes. They are so simple and so tasty!

sara said...

I make an Ellie Krieger recipe that is very similar to this one, I love it, the flavors are so fantastic together. I will have to try this one out to see how it compares.