Shrimp and Pasta with Greek Flavors!
Do you find that when you have weekend guests, your cooking goes up a notch? You put forth a bit more effort as you try to make dinner extra special for friends? I love having weekend guests because we slow down, we put aside our “things to do” list, and we have fun together. That’s what happened this past weekend when a very special friend came to visit.
Unintentionally, the theme for the weekend was Greek! I made Ina Garten’s Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad. The title doesn’t imply it, but it does have Greek flavors with the feta cheese! I also made a roast lamb, roasted potatoes, and a Greek Salad. And, to top it off, we went to a Greek pub! Everything was a hit, but I thought I would share the Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad with you to try. I made a slight change from the original recipe, simply because I was missing an ingredient. It was still delicious. To follow Ina Garten’s exact recipe follow the link.
Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad
Ingredients:
- Salt
- Olive Oil
- 3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup scallions, white and green parts
- 1 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
- 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
- 3/4 pound good feta cheese, cut in small pieces
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, a sprinkle of salt and a splash of oil, and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5-6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. (I left mine in a bit longer). Don’t overcook!
Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, cucumber, onion, salt and pepper and toss well. Add the feta and stir. Set aside at room temperature for an hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we did! Happy cooking!!
