GREEK SHRIMP WITH SPINACH, FETA AND ORZO

GREEK SHRIMP WITH SPINACH, FETA AND ORZO image

Yield 4-5 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for the pasta cooking water
8 ounces orzo or dried stelline pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach (may substitute stemmed, shredded chard leaves)
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 ounces feta cheese
2 medium cloves garlic
1 pound extra-large (21-25 count) peeled and deveined shrimp, preferably American wild caught (defrosted if frozen)
14 ounces canned whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano (not including canned juices)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Greek
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
leaves from 6 to 8 stems flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt and the pasta; cook according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a teaspoon of the oil to brush the inside of a medium baking sish (glass or ceramic) Coarsely chop the spinach. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil into the pot with the pasta, then add the spinach and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Crumble in half the feta. Transfer the pasta mixture to the bottom of the prepared baking dish; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Cut the garlic into very thin slices. Heat a tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about a minute, stirring, only until they start to turn opaque; the shrimp will finish cooking in the oven. Nestle the shrimp into the cooked orzo. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, reserving their resulting juices. Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet used to cook the shrimp, over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the wine, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to form a slightly thickened sauce. Coarsely chop the parsley, then stir it into the sauce. Remove from the heat. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Spoon the sauce over the shrimp and orzo. Transfer to the oven; bake for about 10 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Sprinkle with the remaining feta. Serve hot.