Speedy Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, and Basil
This is a dish I make often, especially for informal parties. It is delicious, easy, and pretty, and makes a great buffet item, especially when paired with all those other Mediterranean dishes I love to cook and eat, such as Eggplant Caviar and Black Olive Tapenade (p. 191), Artichoke Dolmades with Lemon Sauce (p. 20), and Simple Orzo Salad with Black Olives and Feta (p. 115). The tomato sauce is also a good base for moussaka or baked stuffed eggplant, or just tossed with noodles and some sharp Greek cheese, such as kasseri. The dish can be completed up to the final baking point and kept refrigerated for several hours or even overnight. Bring it to room temperature before baking, or it will overcook.
Serve with orzo pasta tossed with kalamata olives and/or artichoke hearts, plus crusty bread to sop up all the sauce. A cucumber-onion salad makes a good starter.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until pink and just cooked through. Add the garlic and toss. Remove from the heat and sprinkle lightly with liqueur. Return the skillet to the heat, stir in the scallions, and cook for 30 more seconds. Season lightly with salt, then mix the shrimp with the tomato sauce, fold in the basil, and pour into a wide, shallow casserole dish or 4 individual (10-ounce) ovenproof dishes. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is slightly brown and casserole is nice and hot.
Tomato Sauce
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion and fennel and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the herbs and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, Bouquet Garni, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper flakes, but go easy on the salt, as the feta will be salty too. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside until ready to use. Remove the Bouquet Garni.
