Basil Shrimp Orzo Recipe

I’ve been on a real orzo kick lately. I guess I’m just tired of turning to boxed mixes of rice and pasta and not only that, most of them have corn in them in some fashion (dextrose or maltodextrin, etc.) so we can only eat the mixes when Jacob’s not here for dinner.

This recipe seems like it has a lot of ingredients and steps, but it’s actually pretty simple. I also thought it would be a bit much with a full 8 ounces of feta, but it turns out the feta is one of the best parts. The leftovers (if you manage to have any) are great the next day — kind of like a lasagna, the orzo soaks up all the flavorful goodness.

• 1 cup orzo
• 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• butter or cooking spray for pan

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Butter a 13×9 glass pan or spray with cooking spray.
3. Cook the orzo for about 5 minutes and drain.
4. Toss in a large bowl with the olive oil, tomatoes, scallions, feta, lemon rind, lemon juice and salt.
5. When mixed well, pour into the buttered pan.
6. Mix the shrimp and basil (you can use the same big bowl you just emptied of the orzo) and pour evenly over orzo in pan.
7. Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked through. The feta will be melted and it should be bubbling.
8. Pepper to your liking and serve with fresh Italian or French bread to soak up the juices.