Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta over Orzo

Just before we escaped for spring break, I made this one last dinner. Talk about tasty, quick, and easy. And the leftovers were just as delicious. A simple tomato sauce is simmered for a short time on the stove before being tossed with shrimp and topped with feta. A few minutes in the oven and it's ready to scoop over al dente pasta. (I chose orzo because it's fun, but really any noodle would work.) I might have thrown the whole container of feta on top (when has extra cheese ever hurt?) and included an extra green onion or two (admitted onion-lover), but that's what's so wonderful about cooking your own dinner. It's yours. To embellish, ruin, or improve. Enjoy!

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta over Orzo

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens divided
2 cloves garlic
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup feta, crumbled
8 oz. whole wheat orzo pasta

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook several minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes and their juice, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and shrimp. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle with feta and scallion greens.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orzo according to package directions.

4. Bake pasta in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese browns and the shrimp turn opaque. Serve over prepared orzo.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Epicurious)