Shrimp Saganaki Orzo (One Pan)
Shrimp saganaki is an iconic Greek dish commonly served in Greece, and abroad, as an appetizer. My family, however, makes this as an entree served with a side of rice, pasta or fresh bread, to sop up all of the delicious sauce. Combining it with orzo in one pan takes it to a whole other level. Makes life so much easier and yummier.
Let’s talk about the ingredients. There is a pound and a half of juicy shrimp in this. If you purchase jumbo or larger size shrimp, your quantity will be less.
Blistering the cherry tomatoes brings about their natural sweetness. I went heavy on my red pepper flakes and created a spicy flavorful dish. You can definitely decrease the amount if your palette is sensitive to heat.
The Ouzo is optional in this dish. If you are unable to obtain a bottle, you can sub in dry white wine or vegetable broth to deglaze the pan. The honey can be replaced with 1 tablespoon sugar. And the feta is what sets this dish apart. It’s the reason we call it SAGANAKI.
One Pan Shrimp Saganaki Orzo
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs wild shrimp
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
- 5 tbs olive oil (divided)
- 2 tsp dried oregano (divided)
- 1.5 tsp chili pepper flakes (divided)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1/3 cup Ouzo*
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbs honey (or sugar)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Peel, devein and pat dry your shrimp. In a large bowl, combine them with 3 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp chili pepper flakes, 1.5 tsp salt and half the minced garlic.
- In a deep skillet pan or dutch oven (with a lid), heat the remaining 2 tbs olive oil over medium. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until they begin to blister – around 3 minutes. Add the remaining garlic to the pan, 1 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in your ouzo to deglaze the pan using a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Add the orzo in and toss it around for a minute to coat. Next add the crushed tomatoes, water and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook the pasta until almost al dente – STIRRING OCCASIONALLY – pasta will stick if you don't. Process should take about 10 minutes or so.
- Next, add the shrimp to the pan and top with the crumbled feta. Cover again and cook for 4-5 minutes or until shrimp is done (depends on size of shrimp). Serve with fresh parsley and fresh cracked black pepper.
This was delicious! The perfect way to use thawed shrimp that my sister-in-law thought were cooked for shrimp cocktail but were, in fact, raw. 🤣
lol A happy mistake though!!!
This one is tough for me to rate because I made so many changes. Firstly, I bought two boxes of frozen shrimp here in Germany, weighed them at home, and found I only had 12 ounces! 🤦♀️ I definitely noticed the missing meat, but that’s on me.
I’m also diabetic so rather than cooking orzo right in the pan, I made penne for my husband and zoodles for myself. Knowing I’d be missing out on the added heft of the orzo, I threw in an onion and a yellow paprika. In the end, it was really just very saucy, but I think it’s also on me that I didn’t cook it long enough and give the flavors a real chance to meld.
Shrimp is so expensive. If I made it again, I’d probably supplement with some chicken and add a lot more spices. I used the exact amount, but the spices didn’t really stand out.
Still giving this 5 stars since I didn’t make it as written, and will try again sometime with different variations to suit my dietary needs.
I’ve been looking for a Greek shrimp dish that uses Ouzo. Many years ago on my honeymoon in Greece, my husband and I dined on a delicious shrimp dish that sounds just like your recipe. We were just outside of Athens in a harbor village called Piraeus. I’m so excited to make this dish- many of these recipes that I’ve seen and have made call for white wine instead of the Ouzo as we experienced in Greece. Thank you for sharing and I will write again after the holidays when I have time to make this authentic sounding dish!
Hi Donna! You are going to LOVE this one! Just make sure you stay on top of the orzo because it will stick.
BTW, Ouzo is necessary in my opinion too for this dish! The flavor is so much better and wine tastes good but it’s definitely not authentic! So happy you loved Greece too! I miss it soo much myself. Please let me know when you make it and how it turned out for you. Happy holidays for you and yours!
Stella