Shrimp & Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes & Romano Cheese

Well, hello strangers! We've been traveling most of this month and just got back early Monday morning from over two weeks in Chicago! What a great time we had and so many wonderful meals at fantastic restaurants.  But, there is no substitute for a home cooked meal and though with all of the unpacking and laundry, cooking dinner was the farthest thing from my mind, I thought the Husband might possibly die if I suggested we head out for dinner.

Lacking time and not wanting to buy a ton of ingredients since we are heading back out of town next week, I looked around for a recipe that would utilize mostly ingredients we had on hand.  I found this recipe on Cooking Light and it was perfect because the only things I had to buy were the tomatoes and the cheese.

This is a very easy meal, not to mention quick - perfect for a busy weeknight.  It's filling, but very light at the same time. 

The original recipe is below, but I did make a few slight changes.  I increased the amount of crushed red pepper to a full 1 teaspoon (it might have been a little more than that), because Hubby and I like heat and I knew 1/4 tsp wouldn't do anything for us. But, if you prefer milder foods, stick with the original amount called for below.

Also, I picked up a fresh blend of Parmesan, Pecorino and Asiago at the store and used that in place of just the Pecorino Romano the recipe called for. It was delicious!

Shrimp & Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes and Romano Cheese

1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
 
Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper evenly over shrimp. Add shrimp to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, and cook 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta and shrimp; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, cheese, and basil.