30 Minute Zesty Shrimp and Orzo
+ A winning formula for speedy summer dinners
Summer is my favorite season to cook, but I don’t often write down the recipes I make in this season. Truthfully, many of them are variants on a similar theme: A pasta or grain, lots of lemon, or perhaps, balsamic vinegar, olive oill and fresh herbs, and a protein or cheese or both! It’s a winning combination that you can adapt endlessly based on what’s growing in your garden or whatever suits your fancy for the evening.
See last year’s post from July:
Gorgeous Fresh Bruschetta Pasta
We’re finally settling into summer around these parts, and with it comes a much more relaxed approach to meals. We’re eating a lot of sandwiches, hot dogs, pasta salad, and grilled chicken. Potato chips are a viable side dish at any time of day. Patio dinners morph into kickball games. The food is vibrant and fresh and EASY. I mean, you don’t have to do much to make a
In today’s variation, we start with orzo pasta, then pile it high with Mediterranean inspired shrimp, juicy cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese. It’s seasoned with lemon juice and zest, and a whole cup of fresh chopped herbs. The shrimp cooks in the time it takes to boil the orzo, so the whole thing can be tossed together and on the table in about 20 minutes.
I took full advantage of my herb garden and used a combination of parsley, basil, mint, and dill, but just two varieties of herbs will do just fine here. If you’ve got zucchini, you can toss it with the same seasonings used for the shrimp, and saute it quickly before adding it to the mix. Feel free to experiment with other pasta shapes here as well! It’s a formula you can continue to use all summer long!
Zesty Mediterranean Shrimp and Orzo
Tip: Gather and chop all of your ingredients while the pasta is boiling. Things will go quickly once your start! Saute the shrimp as soon as the orzo is in the pot, and then everything will be ready to toss together at about the same time.
Ingredients:
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