April 26th, 2020
This is an interesting and delicious way to serve shrimp, in a dish reminiscent of Spanish paella. The orzo is cooked al dente, then the marinated shrimp is added to cook together. The peas add great color, which were a pleasant surprise even though we had run out of cilantro. This dish comes together very quickly, and most of the work is in the prep: the shrimp should be marinated for at least an hour ahead of time.
I forgot to salt the shrimp, which my mom tells me helps diminish the fishy flavor of it. I also put the shrimp in while the orzo was cooking, so it was 25% cooked when I put it back in. The orzo is toasted before it’s boiled, which gives it a great color. I followed the method outlined by the NYT Cooking recipe, but very loosely!
Ingredients:
- shrimp, de-shelled and de-veined
- olive oil
- 1 lemon, squeezed and divided
- chili sauce
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup orzo
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 cups boiling water or stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
Directions:
- Rub shrimp with salt, then rinse.
- Marinate shrimp in olive oil, half the lemon juice, chili sauce, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste for at least an hour.
- Toast orzo and garlic in a pan with olive oil until some pieces are nicely browned.
- Add in boiling water, remaining lemon juice, and peas, cook for 12 minutes at a simmer until pasta is al dente. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the shrimp in an even layer on top and cover, cooking for 2 to 4 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy!
