Skillet Shrimp with Tomato, Feta and Oregano

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Plump shrimp nestled into a garlicky olive-oil tomato sauce, blanketed with crumbled feta and baked until the cheese slumps and browns at the edges. It is a one-skillet Greek taverna classic with all the fat and flavor and none of the bread — spoon it over cauliflower rice or eat it straight from the pan with a fork.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp dried Greek oregano
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 7 oz block feta in brine, drained and crumbled
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 whole lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels, then toss in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, the black pepper, and the lemon zest. Refrigerate while you build the sauce.
2. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third.
3. Warm 1/3 cup olive oil in a 10- to 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned.
4. Add the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano (crush the oregano between your palms as you add it). Cook 60 to 90 seconds, until fragrant and the garlic is just barely golden at the edges.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, pressing it against the hot pan until it darkens to brick red. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, the water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
6. Simmer the sauce over medium-low for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon, until it is thick enough that a spatula dragged across the pan leaves a trail for a second. Taste and adjust salt — remember the feta is salty.
7. Turn off the heat. Nestle the shrimp into the sauce in a single layer, pressing them halfway down so the tops stay exposed. Scatter the crumbled feta over everything and dot with the cubed butter.
8. Bake on the upper rack for 9 to 11 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque and curled into loose C shapes (145°F at the thickest part) and the feta has softened. For browned, blistered cheese, switch to the broiler for a final 1 to 2 minutes, watching constantly.
9. Let the skillet rest 3 minutes off the heat. Shower with the parsley and dill, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and serve hot from the pan with lemon wedges to squeeze over each portion.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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