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Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

A dish doesn't have to be complicated, or take a lot of time, to be good. My father found this recipe for baked shrimp in a tomato sauce with feta cheese in a special publication by Fine Cooking (one of our favorite food magazines) called Eat Smart. Now my dad will be the first to tell you that he doesn't like shrimp. Most shrimp recipes I propose are usually met with that reminder and a change of subject. But this one caught his eye for some reason. We made it early one afternoon so we could get good light for a photograph, and then had to taste it. We kept tasting it, and tasting it, and then we had to call my mother over because we were well on our way to eating the whole pan. The only thing I wish we had at the time was some crusty Italian bread to dip in the sauce.

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Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen
  • Pinch of salt, more to taste
  • Pinch black pepper, more to taste
  • 3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)


Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.

2 Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.

3 Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately. Serve with crusty French or Italian loaf bread, pasta, or rice.

Serves 4.

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60 Comments

Holy God, that looks SO GOOD. Man, I love feta.

Question: I have all the ingredients on hand except the shrimp, but I do have some fillets of fish (Cape capensis, I believe.) Would this work just as well with fish, do you think?

Good question. My first thought is yes, because fish works so well with tomatoes (see this ling cod recipe and this salmon recipe). But, I'm not so sure about the feta. You might try it without the feta and then just stir in some feta on one serving to see how you like it. It would also benefit from some clam juice if you don't have shrimp. ~Elise

Posted by: Saba on April 10, 2009 1:29 AM

This looks simple and delicious. I almost always have these ingredients on hand. We will definitely give it a try! Do you think white wine and/or capers would be good additions?

Sure, why not? ~Elise

Posted by: Phoo-D on April 10, 2009 5:07 AM

This is so similar to one of my very favorites from Gourmet magazine years ago. It was one of the first new recipes I tried as a new wife (versus all the family recipes I was used to making). It has a little white wine in the sauce, and fresh oregano instead of dill...but thank you for the reminder to pull it out again!

Posted by: Cary on April 10, 2009 6:29 AM

Hey Elise, would it be okay to use fresh tomatoes? Canned tomatoes are hard to come by and cost a fortune over here in China.

Yes, I would remove the seeds first. ~Elise

Posted by: Suzanne on April 10, 2009 7:15 AM

I use a variation of this recipe with sliced jalapeno peppers and giardiniera to spice things up. Also, try using chunk feta and raw shrimp. If you slice the feta cheese into large chunks, you can bake for 30 minutes and the cheese will slightly brown. Great stuff. We discovered this recipe in a Mediterranean recipe collection, and of course had to spice it up. It's is easily one of our favorites.

Posted by: Jalapeno Madness on April 10, 2009 7:32 AM

Well Elise, it is Good Friday and you've presented us with yet another Very Good suggestion for dinner. Looks very yummy. And thank God you did. I almost decided to go ahead and make another corned beef today. You saved me from sinning as well

Oh, music to my dad's ears. He just reminded me again that today is Good Friday, no meat. ~Elise

Posted by: Mark Boxshus on April 10, 2009 8:20 AM

Hmmmmmmm...I made this recently, but from this recipe below

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Greek-Spiced-Baked-Shrimp-350590

Dang near identical, save for the addition of allspice, cinnamon and some hot pepper flakes.

I served it over some jasmine rice cooked with some saffron.

And it was good. Real good.

And there was much rejoicing.

What an interesting recipe, I never would have considered allspice, cinnamon, and hot pepper flakes to be Greek spices (of course, what do I know? nothing when it comes to Greek food), I would have thought Greek would include oregano. Still, looks a lot like this one, just spiced up a notch. ~Elise

Posted by: jonathan on April 10, 2009 9:30 AM

Almost forgot...
I made the dish with these,

http://www.wildamericanshrimp.com/main.html

and I really could taste the difference from their Asian-import cousins. If they're ever available, run - don't walk - to your local fishmonger and spend the extra $2-$3/pound. Sweet, tender meat...crustacean bliss.

(What a shame Dad's not a shrimp fan, although these may change his mind. Worst case? More for you! ;-)

Posted by: jonathan on April 10, 2009 10:08 AM

Hi Elise
I have been making a very similar recipe for a few years-I first found it in a low-carb book that I got out of the library but it called for a POUND of feta! I thought even if it is low-carb that's still a lot of cheese! I cut the cheese down to just about the amount that you have and it's great. Suzanne asked about using fresh tomatoes and I have used them in the past and they worked very well-sometimes I use a couple of fresh and a 14oz can of diced-I've done it with Ro-tel too and it's got a nice little kick. I have a couple of thoughts that I wanted to share-I live in Canada and we hardly ever have fresh shrimp in the stores-it's either previously frozen or frozen so I usually buy the latter. I get a big bowl and fill it with ice cold salted (like a brine) water and put the frozen shrimp into that to unthaw-it takes about 1 hour or an hour and a half. I find that I really like the taste of them when they have been brined like that. The other thing is that if I'm in a hurry or it's really hot then I don't bother with the oven. I'll make the tomato sauce but I don't add the cheese till later(sometimes if I feel like it I add a bit of white wine or even some brandy-not a lot-a couple of ounces maybe)and let it cook down for about 10 minutes. I add the shrimp and let it simmer for a couple of minutes more-just until the shrimp starts to turn opaque-then I add the feta cheese and turn off the heat and cover the pan. I let it sit for about 5 minutes or until I set the table. You are right-a good bread is a necessity for this dish.

I always defrost shrimp in ice water (it's the safest approach), but never thought to defrost it in salted water, thanks for the suggestion! Also, good point in that this whole dish could easily be made on the stove top. (Maybe I'll try it again that way and change the recipe.) ~Elise

Posted by: Liz on April 10, 2009 11:53 AM

This is what I love about Greek cuisine -- no fear of combining shellfish and cheese. I never really understood why Italian cooking frowns on that (and, don't tell anyone, but in the privacy of my own kitchen, I tend to grate a bit of parmagiano-reggiano on shrimp and pasta dishes), when the flavors work so well together.

Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) on April 10, 2009 1:07 PM

I love this recipe! I made it over Christmas for my mom after buying the edition of Fine Cooking is was in. That whole month's magazine was loaded with fabulous recipes. But, this shrimp/feta? I have made it several times since then. My pictures didn't come out as nice as yours, though. ;)

Posted by: Chris on April 10, 2009 1:41 PM

I knew I had to make this the minute I saw it so stopped to get feta and shrimp (and a baguette) after work. It was super easy and turned out wonderfully. It's definitely going in my permanent rotation!

Posted by: Jennifer on April 10, 2009 3:38 PM

I made this tonight for our Good Friday fish dinner. Served it over whole wheat penne. It was wonderful and couldn't be easier!

Posted by: Debbie on April 10, 2009 5:02 PM

Hi,
This recipe looks great!

I just read the suggestion to thaw shrimp in a brine. Make sure you know how salty the shrimp is before doing this. I've found that some brands of frozen shrimp are way too salty, even when I thaw them in plain water. Brining them would make them way too salty.

Posted by: Jill on April 10, 2009 5:24 PM

I have been making this dish since 1969, when Time Life published a cooking of the world series. The recipe in the Middle Eastern cooking volume called for white wine and oregano and not as much tomato. When I went to check on this I found the spiral bound recipe book already open to this recipe, the page well stained. I have made this with cubes of fish like halibut and found it excellent. I even made it with cauliflower instead of shrimp for my vegetarian son to great acclaim. I like the idea of adding cinnamon, which I enjoyed in meat stews in Greece.

Posted by: Lynn D/ on April 10, 2009 5:50 PM

Elise,

Thanks for sharing this recipe. We read it last night and it sounded great. Luckily we had all the ingredients on hand so we made it for dinner with pasta. It was great!

Posted by: Emily on April 11, 2009 6:34 AM

This sounds like a great combination! I have made something similar, by Paula Wolfert, with an almond and pine nut paste stirred in. Delicious!

Posted by: Rebecca on April 11, 2009 7:07 AM

I made this recipe last night for Good Friday and it was absolutely delicious! We all loved it with crusty bread to soak up the juice. Before adding the diced tomatoes, I added a heaping tablespoon of tomatoe paste and stirred that in with the onions and garlic. Next time I might add a splash of white wine and will use 2# of shrimp for the three very hungry males in my life.

Posted by: Robin on April 11, 2009 7:30 AM

I bought this magazine as well and this one of the dishes I marked as a keeper. I think the fettucine with walnuts and parsley looks good too.

Posted by: mary on April 11, 2009 8:42 AM

I love me a Garides (Shrimp)Saganaki. This dish is a popular Greek appetizer (meze) and it also get's the "saganaki" name from the two handled vessel that's used to cook it.

Yum!

Posted by: Peter on April 11, 2009 2:04 PM

I normally serve dishes like this with pasta or rice, but I like the idea of using bread instead. How do you use bread to absorb the sauce? Do you eat the pieces of shrimp with a fork, then dip the bread in the remaining sauce to soak it up?

You got it. ~Elise

Posted by: Risita on April 12, 2009 6:53 AM

This recipe is very similar to a terrific Turkish recipe called "karides Guvec". Mmmmm!

Posted by: Christine on April 12, 2009 8:10 AM

This was Yummmmmmmmy! Iloved the way the salt from the feta played off the sweet from the tomatoes. Also I used what I had so I substituted one of the cans of diced tomatoes for one can of stewed tomatoes. this was a really good dish!

Posted by: Judie on April 13, 2009 5:21 PM

This was a hit for a Friday night during Lent. It turned out just like I had imagined from viewing the picture. My husband and his two brothers loved it and have asked me to make it again. This is super easy and very quick to make. Thanks for another great recipe!

Posted by: Emily on April 13, 2009 5:48 PM

Wowser! Made this tonight as written and it was super. So, so easy and quick, too. I used frozen, already cooked shrimp (it's all I can get) and it was great!

Posted by: Evangaline on April 13, 2009 6:33 PM

I had some leftovers that were very good. I added some white hominy and served it as a soup. It was delicious. Unfortunately, the shrimp was overdone then. I should have taken the shrimp out and added them at the last minute, just enough to warm them. Thanks for 2 enjoyable meals.

Posted by: ghostlibrarian on April 13, 2009 7:44 PM

Such a great dish! I loved it. Next time I plan on using cilantro instead of parsley. I think it would step up the taste a bit! I also added a bit of cummin and a little white wine.

Posted by: Wendi Verbage on April 14, 2009 4:12 AM

Why do you leave the tails on? I always find this makes the eating experience much less enjoyable?

You don't have to leave the tails on if you don't want to. There is a ton of flavor in the shells, so leaving on any part of the shell will help add flavor to the dish. ~Elise

Posted by: Colin Devroe on April 14, 2009 5:04 AM

I made this for dinner last night and it was so fast and ridiculously tasty. I can't wait to make it again!

Posted by: Marianne on April 14, 2009 6:14 AM

I made this last night. I served it over creamy grits. It was excellent. I will definitely pass this recipe on to family and friends.

Posted by: Jessica on April 14, 2009 7:00 AM

I made this dish tonight ----- totally quick to make and delicious to boot. I served it with crusty bread and spinach w/garlic. Very tasty and a keeper. Thanks!

Posted by: Stacy on April 14, 2009 10:43 AM

Loved this! I made this for 6 adults so I doubled it and it easily doubles. I prepared the dish on my stove top, except for adding the feta. When the sauce had simmered and the shrimp were done, I ladled it into 6 ovenproof crocks and sprinkled each one with the cheese then placed under broiler until the cheese turned a puffy golden brown. Served with warm french bread brushed with olive oil and a fresh garden salad. Big hit with the whole crowd, will def make again!!

Posted by: Patti on April 14, 2009 11:33 PM

I made this last night and it was *delicious*. Going on the favourites list!

Posted by: zchamu on April 15, 2009 6:42 AM

I made this last night and served it with pasta. Threw in some asparagus, mushrooms, and squash that I already had on hand. Yum!

Posted by: ash on April 15, 2009 9:59 AM

This was very tasty and most importantly- QUICK. Ideal for a weeknight diner fix-up. We loved it and will do this again for sure. Surprising combination the Shrimp and Feta but it turned out the be a perfect match! I also substituted the dill with oregano and it was a success!! Thank you!

Posted by: Wendy on April 15, 2009 10:34 AM

This reminds me of an entree served at a restaurant I worked at when I was in college. Brings back some great memories, I will have to try making this recipe soon. I'm thinking I'll serve it over some rice or risotto, since we're a gluten free household. The crusty bread sounds awesome though.

Posted by: Alecia on April 15, 2009 5:27 PM

What a wonderful dish! I made this for dinner this evening and added some snow peas and a little fresh basil. I served Garlic Naan and pasta with the dish. Everyone wiped their plates clean. I will certainly be making this again.

Posted by: Lisa on April 16, 2009 4:36 PM

It was terrific! Easy, fast, delicious - what more could I ask for on a Wednesday night? Thank you for the lovely recipe.

Posted by: rokorox on April 17, 2009 1:00 PM

This looks great, I think it would be really good on a sub roll, or pita pocket too!

Posted by: Matt Gannon on April 20, 2009 9:10 PM

This recipe was amazing, delicious, healthy and super easy. When I cooked it, I forgot the dill and it still tasted great. My husband and I loved it. I will definitely be adding this to our "favorite list". Thanks for sharing.

Posted by: Kym on April 22, 2009 8:33 AM

Incredible recipe. Big hit in my family.

Posted by: Kendra on April 22, 2009 3:50 PM

Finally showed this to my husband, not the hugest tomato fan, but I could not resist the recipe. Well he loved it as well, made it again tonight for supper. Great blend of flavours, can't wait to add in fresh herbs from the garden if it ever stops snowing here....sigh!

Posted by: Tracie on April 25, 2009 7:35 PM

I have to echo everyone's sentiment that this recipe is fantastic! So simple, fast and delicious. It is definitely becoming a regular in my kitchen. Thanks again for a great recipe!

Posted by: Todd on April 26, 2009 7:19 AM

This was a bit of a miss for me. I used rock shrimp - maybe that was the problem. I think possibly also too much parsley - some cilantro might have been helpful. Big fan of the site and recipes but probably won't make this one again without some variations.

Posted by: Sarah on April 28, 2009 5:58 PM

Great recipe. Did not bake it - just finished it on the stove (too lazy). Loved the flavors and am going to add more fresh herbs next time for variation. Oh, and the crusty bread is a must. Thanks Elise!

Posted by: rose on April 29, 2009 8:24 AM

This recipe sounds great! Can't wait to try it.
But has anyone tried it with Basil?

Posted by: Diane on April 29, 2009 4:41 PM

I made this last night and it was a big hit. It took a bit longer in the oven to cook and that's because I didn't put a lid on the pan when it went in the oven, next time I would do that. I also wished I was someplace where I could buy freshly caught shrimp (not much of that in Columbus, Ohio), that would make it perfect.

Hi John, actually you cook the shrimp in the oven uncovered, I've just added that note to the recipe to make it more clear. Frozen shrimp work perfectly well in this recipe. Just thaw them first by placing them in ice water for an hour or so. ~Elise

Posted by: John on May 4, 2009 4:12 AM

hi, im 17 on a improve-my-cooking-skills mission. I tried this recipe and it was perfect....except for the feta cheese. I've never had feta cheese before and the taste really doesnt agree with me :{ I was wondering about the taste...is it supposed to taste so odd? Are there other cheeses that taste similar to it?

Feta is a somewhat salty, crumbly Greek cheese. It is similar in taste and texture to Mexican cotija cheese. ~Elise

Posted by: chibi on May 10, 2009 11:37 AM

This looks delish. I make a similar dish where I add orzo and bake it.

http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/shrimp-with-orzo-tomatoes-and-wine/

Posted by: Tonya @ What's On My Plate on May 12, 2009 5:36 PM

That was REALLY good! I'll definitely add that to my regular rotation.

I had trouble getting raw prawns, so I used frozen cooked ones. I put them in half way through the baking process. That way, by the time it's baked, they are hot all the way through but not overcooked.

Great blog, thanks.

Posted by: Matthew on May 17, 2009 11:11 AM

Have tried this recipe now twice--while my husband and I enjoyed it the first time, neither of really felt like dill is the herb for us in this dish. Second time around I used 2 different spice blends I had on hand--one a blend intended to add to tomatoes to make a marinara sauce and the second a blend for bruscetta. Absolutely loved it this way--the dill just didn't do it for us. I serve it over linguine and it's incredibly satisfying.

Posted by: Jennsa on June 15, 2009 7:26 AM

I made this tonight for a woman that I am dating. She loved it! I added an extra clove of garlic and some shallots and then served it on top of angel hair pasta. It looked, smelled, and tasted incredible! Best of all it was super easy. Thank you for making me look good!

Posted by: Jamie on June 24, 2009 9:07 PM

This recipe looks so good! I just have one question, could one replace the feta cheese for another type of cheese? if so, which ones could one also you to give it a good flav. Thx in advance

Feta is a salty, crumbly Greek cheese. You could substitute cotija cheese, a similar Mexican cheese that is also salty and crumbly. ~Elise

Posted by: alejandro on June 30, 2009 10:32 AM

Elise, I made this and since I don't really care for dill used 3/4t Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic seasoning blend. Great result wonderful taste. I also used my leftover to make bruscetta...rave reviews. Toasted the french bread slices then just topped with the sauce plus additional cheese. Thanks for the recipe.
xoxo Deborah and the gang ~..~ ^..^ ~..^

Posted by: Deborah on July 13, 2009 8:09 AM

I made this dish the other week and absolutely LOVED it...next time we are going to omit the dill (wasn't really sure what it was supposed to add to the dish) and add a little bit of spice. Thanks for sharing!!

Kathleen

Posted by: Kathleen on August 10, 2009 9:45 AM

Hi Elise, Thanks so much for the inspiration for this dish, it's truly so simple and so delicious. I just posted a variation -- with fresh tomatoes (good for summer) and the addition of fresh spinach (so gorgeous color). Plus, the oven isn't needed, it cooks just fine on the stove. Here's my recipe -- http://kitchenparade.com/2009/08/shrimp-with-tomatoes-spinach-feta.php. Hope you like it!

Posted by: Alanna on August 11, 2009 5:15 AM

I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. As a dill lover I thought the dill added a lot of great flavor and meshed well with the feta and tomato. Also it was very easy, it was ready in no time and the dish looks like it would take hours to make!

Posted by: Liz Romero on September 16, 2009 9:05 PM

This was an awesome dish! Loved it.....what would I do without this website.....!

Posted by: cheryl on October 3, 2009 4:02 PM

I took advantage of the 50% off seafood sale at Raleys over the weekend and made this one night and your recipe for glazed salmon the next. Both were a complete success! But, come to think about it, EVERYTHING I make from this site is a complete success. THANKS!

Posted by: Dianna on October 13, 2009 10:09 AM

This is the second time I've made this dish. Safeway had jumbo Gulf shrimp on sale the other day for $9/lb so I bought 1.5 lbs and made this dish. I added some capers and 1/2 cup of white wine when I added the shrimp. Served it over orzo pasta. Very good. Might throw in some chopped Kalamata olives next time.

Posted by: RD on October 16, 2009 11:39 AM

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