Let’s be real for a second. Most pasta salads are a tragedy. They’re either drowning in a gallon of flavorless mayo or they’re so dry you need a glass of water after every single bite. But then there’s Ina Garten. Honestly, the Barefoot Contessa shrimp and orzo recipe is one of those rare dishes that makes you feel like you’ve actually got your life together, even if you’re eating it in your pajamas over the sink.
It’s elegant. It’s bright. It tastes like a high-end coastal deli in the Hamptons.
If you’ve ever watched Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, you know Ina’s whole vibe is "easy but expensive." She doesn't do complicated just for the sake of it. She does it because it tastes better. This specific recipe, which originally appeared in her Back to Basics cookbook, is a masterclass in how to use citrus and herbs to make simple ingredients sing. You’ve got tender orzo, perfectly roasted shrimp, and a lemon-dill dressing that’s so zingy it basically wakes up your taste buds.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Barefoot Contessa Shrimp and Orzo Recipe
People mess this up. Often.
The biggest mistake is the shrimp. Most home cooks boil them. Please, don't do that. Ina’s method involves roasting the shrimp in the oven at $400°F$. It takes maybe five or six minutes. By roasting them with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, you lock in that sweet, briny flavor instead of washing it away in a pot of water. If they turn into little tight "O" shapes, you’ve gone too far. You want them in a "C" shape. C for cooked; O for overcooked.
Then there’s the orzo.
Orzo is a pasta, not a grain, even though it looks like rice. It has a tendency to clump together into a sad, starchy brick if you aren't careful. The trick is the timing. You have to toss the cooked orzo with the dressing while the pasta is still warm. Warm pasta is porous. It drinks up that lemon juice and olive oil. If you wait until it’s cold, the dressing just sits on top like a slick film. It’s gross. Nobody wants that.
The Magic of the Lemon-Dill Dressing
The dressing is basically the soul of the dish. It isn't just lemon juice; it’s a massive amount of lemon zest, too. You need that aromatic oil from the skin of the fruit. Most people skimp on the herbs, but the Barefoot Contessa shrimp and orzo recipe calls for a literal cup of chopped fresh parsley and an entire cup of chopped fresh dill.
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Yes, a whole cup.
It seems like a lot. It feels like you're making a lawn. But once it hits the warm pasta and the feta cheese begins to slightly melt and emulsify with the lemon, it all balances out. The dill provides this grassy, anise-like sweetness that cuts right through the richness of the olive oil.
The Feta Factor: Don't Buy the Crumbles
I’m going to be a snob for a minute because Ina would want me to be. If you buy the pre-crumbled feta in the plastic tub, you're doing it wrong. That stuff is coated in potato starch or cellulose to keep it from sticking together. It's dry. It's dusty.
Buy the block.
Get the feta that’s sitting in brine. When you crumble it yourself into the Barefoot Contessa shrimp and orzo recipe, you get these creamy, irregular chunks that create a sort of sauce when mixed with the citrus. It’s the difference between a "fine" meal and a "holy cow, can I have the recipe?" meal.
Ingredient Breakdown and Sourcing
Let's talk about the shrimp. You need large ones, usually the 16-20 count per pound.
- Shrimp: Peeled and deveined, but leave the tails on if you want it to look fancy (though it’s a pain to eat).
- Orzo: A standard 1-pound box.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh only. If it comes in a plastic squeeze bottle shaped like a lemon, put it back.
- Olive Oil: Use "good" olive oil. This is a classic Ina-ism, but it actually matters here because the oil isn't being cooked off. You're tasting it raw.
- Vegetables: Hothouse cucumber (the long ones wrapped in plastic) and red onion.
The red onion needs to be diced small. Like, really small. Nobody wants a giant hunk of raw onion in a delicate pasta salad. The cucumber adds a necessary crunch. Since it's a hothouse (English) cucumber, you don't even have to peel it, and the seeds are tiny enough that they won't make the salad watery.
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Why This Recipe Actually Works for Meal Prep
Usually, seafood and leftovers don't mix. We've all been in an office where someone microwaved fish. It’s a crime.
But this? This is served cold or at room temperature.
The Barefoot Contessa shrimp and orzo recipe actually tastes better after it sits for a couple of hours. The flavors marry. The orzo continues to absorb the lemon. If you're making this for a party, make it three hours ahead of time and just leave it on the counter. Don't shove it in the fridge immediately; let it come to room temperature slowly.
Common Substitutions (And Which Ones to Avoid)
I get it. Some people hate dill. It’s a polarizing herb. If you absolutely cannot stand it, you can swap it for basil. It changes the profile from "Mediterranean" to "Italian Summer," but it still works.
Don't swap the orzo for rice. The texture is completely different. Rice is too earthy; orzo has that silky, bouncy pasta mouthfeel that carries the oil better.
If you want to add more veg, some halved cherry tomatoes or some roasted red peppers work beautifully. Just don't overcomplicate it. The beauty of Ina’s recipes is the restraint. She knows when to stop.
A Deep Dive into the Roasting Technique
Roasting at $400°F$ is high heat. You want that.
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Spread the shrimp out on a sheet pan in a single layer. If they’re crowded, they’ll steam instead of roast. You want them to get a little bit of color. Sometimes I’ll throw some lemon slices directly onto the sheet pan with the shrimp. The lemons caramelize and get sweet, and you can squeeze that charred juice over the pasta later for an extra layer of smoky citrus flavor.
Troubleshooting the Texture
If your salad feels a little dry the next day, don't just dump more oil in it.
Add a splash of water or a little more lemon juice. Usually, the starch in the pasta has just tightened up. A little bit of liquid will loosen the "sauce" created by the feta and oil without making the whole dish feel greasy.
Also, salt. People are afraid of salt. But you are seasoning a pound of pasta, a pound of shrimp, and a bunch of veggies. You need more than a pinch. Use Kosher salt. The flakes are bigger and it’s harder to over-salt than with fine table salt.
Why the "Barefoot Contessa" Brand Endures
There’s a reason we’re still talking about a recipe that’s decades old. Ina Garten’s recipes are tested to death. They work. They aren't "trendy" in a way that feels dated three years later. The Barefoot Contessa shrimp and orzo recipe is a classic because it relies on the fundamentals: acid, fat, salt, and fresh aromatics.
How to Serve It Like a Pro
If you’re hosting, don't serve this in a deep bowl. Use a large, shallow platter.
When you pile it high in a deep bowl, the feta and shrimp all sink to the bottom. On a platter, you can see every component. Scatter some extra herbs on top right before serving. It looks intentional. It looks like you spent hours on it, even though the whole thing takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Step-by-Step Implementation
- Prep the Shrimp: Toss them with oil, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan. Roast at $400°F$ for 5-7 minutes. Set them aside.
- Boil the Orzo: Cook in heavily salted water until al dente. Drain it, but don't rinse it. You want the starch.
- Make the Vinaigrette: Whisk together 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- The Big Mix: Pour the dressing over the warm orzo. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Fold in the Rest: Add the roasted shrimp (and any juices from the pan!), a cup of chopped scallions, a cup of dill, a cup of parsley, a diced hothouse cucumber, a small red onion, and 3/4 pound of good feta.
- Rest: Let it sit for at least an hour to let the flavors develop.
Actionable Next Steps
To get the most out of this recipe, start by sourcing a high-quality block of Greek feta in brine rather than the pre-crumbled variety. When you cook the orzo, ensure the water is "salty like the sea" to season the pasta from the inside out. Finally, always zest your lemons before juicing them—it's much harder to do it the other way around, and you’ll need that zest to provide the floral top notes that define this dish.