Oven Baked Shrimp & Orzo

This was our Sunday night dinner and it was delicious.  It turned out beautifully but, wow, we have a lot of leftovers.  I would definitely halve this recipe in the future unless I was cooking for more than two people.  Even halving would leave us both with a nice size lunch for the next day.  The recipe comes from the cookbook, "Best of America's Test Kitchen 2007."  The saffron is quite good and the recipe is reminiscent of paella.  My only caution:  be careful when pouring into the baking dish as your dish will be quite full.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled & deveined

salt and pepper
1 red onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1/2" pieces
1 t. EVOO
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb orzo
pinch saffron
4 C. low-sodium chicken broth
1 C. water
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 C. frozen peas
4 t. minced fresh oregano
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 400 degrees.  Pat shrimp dry and season with salt & pepper.

2.  Combine onion, bell pepper, oil & 1/2 t. salt in a large Dutch oven.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables have softened, about 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic & cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the orzo and saffron and cook, stirring frequently, until the orzo is coated with oil & lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

3.  Stir in the broth and water and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the grains of orzo are mostly tender yet still slightly firm at the center, about 12 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, peas, oregano, and shrimp.

4.  Pour into a 13x9 inch baking dish and sprinkle the feta evenly over the top.  Bake until shrimp are cooked through and the cheese is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.