Greek Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

One of my favorite easy meals to make is a Greek version of shrimp with tomatoes that is hardy and healthy. My mom used to make an Italian version of this with her home-grown peppers and served it with pasta – never any cheese! I can still remember my dad’s eyes watering and shaking his head since it was so spicy, he could barely eat it. That was probably the start of my love affair with hot peppers. I haven’t met a spicy dish I didn’t like since that day. This one can be mild or spicy depending on your preference. I prefer using vermouth as opposed to wine, but you can substitute white wine if you have it.

Ingredients

2 tbsps. olive oil

2 lbs. large shrimp peeled and deveined

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsps. butter

1 medium yellow onion finely chopped

5 garlic cloves minced

4 tbsps. tomato paste

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

2 lbs. chopped fresh Roma tomatoes

½ cup chopped basil

2 tsp. Dijon

2 tsps. Sugar

½ cup dry vermouth

2 tbsps. lemon juice

½ cup chopped Italian parsley, more for serving

3 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add shrimp in a single layer seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp are nearly cooked through about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium heat and melt butter in skillet. Cook onion until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, Dijon, and sugar. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until tomatoes are beginning to fall apart and juices have thickened, 12-15 minutes.

3. Pour in vermouth and lemon juice and cook stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Return shrimp to skillet and add parsley. Remove from heat and scatter crumbled feta over.

4. Divide shrimp and serve in shallow bowls, top with more parsley, and serve immediately. It can be served over orzo, rice, or with a crusty loaf of bread and a side salad.