Shrimp and Orzo Bake

I made this in advance of a week of running. Last Sunday I ran my first ever 5K in DC’s The Color Run. Yesterday, I ran my my first ever 10K at the Marine Corps Marathon. The Color Run was a ton of fun – I ran with my roommate and some other friends and it is not lying when it bills itself as the happiest 5K in the world. Though the washing machine in my apartment complex wasn't quite as happy…

The 10K was more challenging, namely because Hurricane Sandy is bearing down on the entire East Coast. Luckily there wasn't much wind and no rain during my run, but the hour and a half waiting for the race to start in my shorts and tee shirt in 50 degree weather wasn't too fun. However, I finished at my goal time and have stocked up on the necessities (Oreos. I had planned on doing a big cook on Sunday of three different soups, but with massive power outages expected in my area, I didn't want to take non-perishable food and make it perishable. So Oreos, pasta, and plans to eat all the frozen food I can in case of power outages. I'll let you know how it goes).

I wanted to have a dish I could eat throughout the week that would be filling, but not too heavy, would have protein, but wasn’t a cooked chicken breast, and if it could use most of the ingredients I already owned I would consider it a bonus. This one hit all those points – orzo to stick to your bones, shrimp and feta for some protein, onion and garlic because they are a basic necessity of any dish I cook, and white wine because it’s awesome.

I’ve mentioned previously that I tend to stock up when I see a great deal on dried goods, so I always tend to have pasta hanging around as well as canned tomatoes and frozen shrimp. So I only had to buy minimal ingredients to make a dish that will likely last me multiple  meals – so overall, cheap as well!

Is it any wonder I couldn’t wait to share?

Shrimp and Orzo Bake

From Once a Month Mom

Check the source if you’d like to know how to make this dish freezer friendly. I can tell you from experience it doesn’t suffer from spending some quality time in the freezer if you want to make this dish now and enjoy it later!

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups tomatoes, chopped (I used diced tomatoes from a can and a drained a bit of the juice before hand)

1 teaspoon oregano

3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 ounces feta (I used reduced fat)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Equipment

Medium pot, large pan, 8x8 baking dish

Cook the orzo according to direction, drain, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook onions for five minutes over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook an additional 30 seconds. Add wine, tomatoes, and oregano and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer for five minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Combine shrimp, cooked orzo, and tomato mixture and place in 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle feta and lemon juice over top. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4-6