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Lemon Garlic Shrimp with a Touch of Ouzo

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

I like having frozen shrimp on hand, it cooks quickly and with the addition, of simple basic Greek staples you have a complete meal. Combine with some carbs such as pasta, rice or orzo and you have a nice meal. Add a salad or some cooked vegetables and you are set.

Greeks often combine shrimp with feta (as I did here) but it also goes well with ouzo. For this recipe I added the olive oil and lemon (ladolemono) plus garlic and dill.

I use uncooked frozen peeled shrimp (not the pre-cooked ones). Shrimp are low in calories with a 3 ounce serving only about 100 calories, they are a good source of lowfat protein and are also a good source of iron, niacin and phosphorus.

For this I used what I had on hand which were the tiny shrimp but obviously you can use any size you wish.

I served this with some pasta, but if you have larger shrimp you could serve it on its own, accompanied with a vegetable dish.

If you use frozen, make sure they are defrosted and dry and strain them as much as you can wit a paper towel otherwise they will be soggy.

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Lemon Garlic Shrimp with a Touch of Ouzo

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Course: Entree, pasta
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Servings: 4
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound shrimp peeled uncooked
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shot ouzo or you can try mastiha liquor
  • 1-2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 10 ounces (300 g) spaghetti

Instructions

  • Strain the shrimp well.
  • In a pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, sauté the shrimp for about 2 minutes.
  • Add the minced garlic and sauté until you can smell the garlic, about a ½ minute.
  • Add the lemon juice, the zest, the ouzo and the dill and cook for about 2 more minutes. Do not overcook. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Boil spaghetti and strain, making sure to save just just a bit of the pasta water. Put pasta back in the pot, add shrimp mixture and the rest of the olive oil (1 tablespoon). Mix well and serve.

Photo by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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6 Comments

  1. This is very simple and delicious. I have your cookbook and often use your recipes, particularly the vegetarian dishes.
    Thank you, Elena for your beautiful and informative website!5 stars

    Reply

  2. I love the cookbook for beginners! We are planning to make this recipe but would like substitute for Ouzo and white wine. We don’t use liquor, even if the alcohol content evaporates. Thanks for offering substitutes for liquor.

    Reply

  3. Yes, I made this dish this evening. It was wonderful. I did however kick it up a notch by adding some hot pepper flakes to the dish upon serving it. This is a very nice and easy dish to make!5 stars

    Reply