This is one of those dishes I have made so many times over the years, it feels like a part of me. There is a recipe for it, called Shrimp Scorpio, in one of the first cookbooks I ever owned: “The Complete Book of Greek Cooking,” by the Recipe Club of Saint Paul’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The book, published in 1990 and still available, lacks glossy photos and elaborate stories, but makes up for it with dozens of delightful, homestyle recipes that I’ve turned to again and again.
This skillet dinner of shrimp and herbs, simmered with tomatoes, topped with feta cheese and baked until the cheese is melted, has been woven into the fabric of my life because it checks all the boxes: It’s a breeze to pull together on a busy weeknight, it brims with nourishing ingredients, and it has all the Mediterranean flavors my family and I love.
Over the years I’ve played around with the version in the book, changing up the herbs and aromatics, using different cuts of canned tomatoes or swapping in fresh, and adding different vegetables to the mix for extra color and nutrition. This take on it incorporates ribbons of fresh spinach, but you could swap in kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens – whatever you like.
Serve it with orzo, rice or crusty bread for sopping up the luscious juices. I know that once you try it, it will be in regular rotation for you, too.
Stir in the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 1 minute. Photo for The Washington Post by Tom McCorkle
Greek-Style Shrimp Skillet with Tomatoes, Spinach and Feta
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
4 servings (makes about 6 cups)
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion (6 ounces), diced (1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
One (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with juices
1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 pounds shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined and tails removed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 1/2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
Cooked orzo or rice, or crusty bread, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, such as cast-iron, over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until aromatic, another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to a lively simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and saucy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 1 minute, then remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the shrimp and herbs, top with the feta cheese and transfer to the oven.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Let rest for 5 minutes, then taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper, if desired.
Serve with cooked orzo, rice or crusty bread to sop up the juices.
Nutrition information per serving (1 1/2 cups)
Calories: 308; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 198 mg; Sodium: 552 mg; Carbohydrates: 24 g; Dietary Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 14 g; Protein: 31 g
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