This traditional Greek recipe disregards the notion that seafood and cheese don’t mix, and it works beautifully, resulting in a harmonious balance of flavors. Though it can be made year round with canned tomatoes, it is sensational with fresh sweet ripe ones, so best prepared in summer. Serve it as a main course with rice or potatoes, or in small portions as an appetizer, taverna-style.
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large shallots, diced, about 1 cup
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 pounds large ripe tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 ounces Greek feta cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
356 calories; 14 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 299 milligrams cholesterol; 479 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
4 to 6 servings
Preparation
- Put 4 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Lower heat as necessary to keep mixture from browning. Remove from heat while preparing tomatoes.
- Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add whole tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes, until skins loosen. Immediately plunge tomatoes in a bowl of cold water to cool, then drain. With a paring knife, core tomatoes and slip off skins. Cut tomatoes into thick wedges.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Return skillet to stove over medium-high heat. Add tomato wedges and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until mixture is juicy and tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a shallow earthenware baking dish.
- Put shrimp in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, season shrimp with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Arrange shrimp over tomato mixture in one layer. Crumble cheese over surface and sprinkle with oregano.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until tomatoes are bubbling and cheese has browned slightly. Remove from oven and let dish rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with mint and serve.
45 minutes
Dining and Cooking