By Ira,
My friend Paula gave me this recipe. When we come together, we like to spend time cooking, chatting, and drinking wine, and then enjoying our fabulous creation. This dish is one of her favorites and I can see why. The feta cheese melts with the white wine and makes a delicious sauce. You can actually make this in 20 minutes.
Serves 4 – 6 – Adapted from The Black Dog Cookbook
Paula changed this recipe by adding more garlic, more wine, and more black pepper.
- 7 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound frozen small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 4 ripe tomatoes, diced
- small bunch of fresh basil leaves
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 lb Penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)
- salt and pepper
Bring lots of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon and cook the pasta until al dente (see package instructions). Reserve some pasta water before you drain it. When you drain it, the sauce will be ready and you can mix it with the sauce.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, then the garlic. Cook while stirring for 1 minute (do not burn the garlic).
Then add the shrimp,
and stir occasionally until they are pink (don’t overcook it).
Add the wine, and let it cook with the shrimp for a few minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes and lower the heat.
Using scissors, cut half of the basil leaves into the sauce (or you can just tear them).
Add the feta cheese and stir until it incorporates with the sauce.
Don’t add salt as the feta can be salty, but add plenty of freshly ground pepper. 
Return the pasta to the pot, add the sauce and stir gently. If dry, add a little bit of the pasta water. Taste to see if it needs any salt or more pepper.
When serving, tear the rest of the basil leaves and sprinkle on top. It goes very well with the white wine that you used in the meal.
