Athenian Orzo

From EatingWell: Fall 2004, May/June 1992, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

Orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, makes a delightful base for an authentically Greek combination of shrimp, tomatoes and feta. To serve as a side dish, omit the shrimp and drain the tomatoes before adding them.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Delicious healthy meal. It is a very fresh dish. I love it. "

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition Profile

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
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 medium shrimp, (30-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch (or other 3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.
Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan 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, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, capers, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; cook for 5 minutes. Drop in shrimp and cook, stirring, until barely pink, about 2 1/2 minutes.
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.
Bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 397 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 189 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrates; 34 g protein; 4 g fiber; 991 mg sodium; 730 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: 26 mg vitamin C (45% daily value), 730 mg potassium (37% dv), 7 mg iron (35% dv), 124 mcg folate (31% dv), 243 mg calcium (25% dv), 97 mg magnesium (24% dv), 15% dv vitamin A, 15% dv fiber.

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat