Roasted Shrimp with Feta

We stumbled across this recipe a few weeks ago and thought ..."Why not?" We don't have shrimp very often and, true to The Barefoot Contessa, this looked easy and flavorful - and it was! I assembled it before we went out to shoot a horse show, and then just threw it in the oven when we came home. So I did steps 2-5 and 8 early in the day and then covered everything. When we returned, I turned on the oven, and assembled and cooked the dish according to the rest of the directions. Does it get any easier than that?

The wine, garlic and tomatoes complement the shrimp without diminishing its role completely, the herbal bread crumbs add texture, and the feta cheese added a surprisingly pleasant tang (along with the lemon). This is a repeat for us, how about you?

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ cups medium-diced fennel
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
¼ cup dry white wine
1 (14½ ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Pernod (we use Anisette)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1¼ pounds (16-20 per pound) peeled shrimp with tails on
5 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (4 slices of bread run through a food processor)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 lemons
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1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 10- or 12- inch heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fennel is tender.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned buts. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by half.
5. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, Pernod/Anisette, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Arrange the shrimp, tails up, in one layer over the tomato mixture in the skillet.
7. Scatter the feta evenly over the shrimp.
8. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, and lemon zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over the shrimp.
9. Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
10. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp.
11. Serve hot with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.