Shrimp and Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes and Romano Cheese

Parmesan cheese works in this dish, too, if you don't have pecorino Romano on hand. Serve leftovers as a great cold pasta salad for lunch.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 1  cup  uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
• 1  pound  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1  cup  chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1  tablespoon  bottled minced garlic
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 2  cups  cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3  cup  (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper evenly over shrimp. Add shrimp to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, and cook 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta and shrimp; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, cheese, and basil.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

414 (26% from fat)

Fat:

11.9g (sat 2.9g,mono 6g,poly 1.6g)

Protein:

33.1g

Carbohydrate:

43.6g

Fiber:

3.1g

Cholesterol:

181mg

Iron:

4.9mg

Sodium:

721mg

Calcium:

178mg