Greek Shrimp Tomatoes and Herbs with Feta

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 35 min. Cook: 15 min. YIELD: 6 servings

This recipe is a combination of two recipes I've made in the past, with a couple touches all my own. Serves about 6 people as a main course, or more as a first course. Serve in bowls with a soup spoon accompanied by brown rice or crusty baguette.

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1.5 pounds ripe plum (or San Marzano) tomatoes, chopped into large chunks
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine or clam juice (or combination)
1/2 tsp dried or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 1/4 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Optional: 1/3 cup sliced pitted Kalamata olives
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbs roughly chopped fresh parsley, basil, or mint
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions

Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet (or medium pot) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring until softened, lowering heat as necessary to prevent browning. Remove from heat.

Chop the plum (or San Marzano) tomatoes into large chunks. [When using these types of tomatoes, I leave the skins on, but if you prefer, you can remove them by putting them in a pot of boiling water for about 30-60 seconds. Carefully remove them from the water and let cool a bit. Slide the skins off using a paring knife.]

Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C).

Reheat the skillet to medium-high heat. Add tomato chunks and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and wine (or clam juice). Cook on simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and the mixture is slightly juicy (but not very), about 10-12 minutes. Add oregano.Transfer the mixture to a shallow earthenware or glass dish at least 9" (23 cm) or more square, round or equivalent.

Evenly top the tomato mixture with shrimp in one layer. If using sliced olives, sprinkle them over the shrimp, and then the crumbled feta cheese.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are bubbling, the shrimp are adequately pink, and the cheese has just started to brown. Remove dish from oven and rest for 5 minutes. Top with more ground pepper and chopped herb(s).