Shrimp & Orzo w/Cherry Tomatoes & Romano Chesse

By á-3353

This 5-star shrimp and orzo recipe has simple ingredients, but it is full of flavor. Parmesan cheese works in this dish, too, if you don't have pecorino Romano on hand. Serve leftovers as a great cold pasta salad for lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
1. While pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper evenly over shrimp. Add shrimp to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan.

2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, and cook 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta and shrimp; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, cheese, and basil.