Big flavor comes in small packages. In this dish, shrimp, wine, basil, and sun-dried tomato combine to make a sweet burst of flavor that is so elegant. It get the ringing endorsement of my hubby who licked his plate clean. But the best part is that this meal can be fridge to table in 15 minutes if you have precooked orzo. Fridge to table in 30 minutes if you need to boil your pasta first.
I adapted the recipe from Ellie Krieger’s shrimp orzo. She uses fresh tomato, but I prefer the intense richer flavor of sun-dried tomatoes. I recommend watching this video of Ellie cooking the dish, if only just to see how easy it is!
Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Orzo
Makes 4 servings ♦ 5 minutes prep time ♦ 10 minutes cook time if you cook your pasta ahead of time
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cup white wine
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rough chopped
1/4 cup basil, sliced thin
3/4 pound orzo pasta, cooked and drained
Directions
Season the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Then add the shrimp and cook until just cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Remove with tongs, leaving oil behind in the skillet. Set shrimp aside.
Reduce heat to medium high then add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add wine and allow to reduce for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and most of the basil. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the wine is at least half absorbed/evaporated.
Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir until heated through (about 1 minute.) Stir in orzo and garnish with remaining basil. Serve hot.
If it needs a little more liquid, drizzle on some good quality extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
3 comments
Candace says:
February 28, 2012 at 7:42 pm (UTC -5)
This gorgeous dish contains all of my favorite things! It looks fantastic!
Erin @ Art + Food + Life says:
February 28, 2012 at 8:28 pm (UTC -5)
Thanks! They are my favorites too. Shrimp wine and garlic are a match made in heaven.
kale @ tastes good to me! says:
March 11, 2012 at 4:41 pm (UTC -5)
Yum, love orzo! This looks super satisfying. The tang of the sun-dried tomatoes is a really good addition!