Shrimp Athenian

I'd say Shrimp Athenian is very much a Greek version of "comfort food".  It's a delicious mixture of shrimp, tomatoes, feta and orzo, and is perfect for a chilly night, or a Sunday afternoon (or really any day!)

On February 4th, I made this for Mr. S to celebrate our first month of marriage, with a nod to our Greek culture.  He loved it!

Makes: 4 servings
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 pound shrimp,  peeled and deveined (we used colossal
  since it was a special occasion)
• 1 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, water, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, capers, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook for 20 min. Continue to add water as necessary to keep enough liquid.
2. Drop in shrimp and cook, stirring, until barely pink, about 2 1/2 minutes.
3. Cook orzo in the boiling water until tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Toss with the tomato-shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with feta and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley.
4. Bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes.