Orzo with Feta, Basil and Shrimp
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sweet Spanish paprika
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus more, to taste
3 cups orzo
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, snipped into small pieces, plus 4 to 6 whole leaves
1/4 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
In a bowl, stir together the shrimp, the 1/4 cup olive oil, the paprika, red pepper flakes and the 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. *I only let it sit for about 20 minutes and it still tasted great!
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo, stir well and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 Tbs. olive oil. Drain the shrimp, discarding the marinade, and add the shrimp to the pan. Cook, turning once or twice, until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and any pan juices to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Drain the orzo and transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Add the shrimp and their juices and stir several times. Add the snipped basil and cheese and gently stir again once or twice. Garnish with the whole basil leaves and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
*For the Feta Cheese, the variety I used was tomato and basil. I only put in what I thought looked good, rather than a 1/4 lb.
*For the basil, buying fresh is really expensive here, so I put in 1/2 tsp instead.
