Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

This is my third shrimp scampi recipe that I have posted in my blog. It is by far my favorite of the three. I love the use of orzo instead of linguine. I also like how light it is with a slight lemon taste. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light and thought it was pretty perfect with my modifications. My only advice would be to use slightly less pepper if you aren't a huge fan of pepper- it was a prominent flavor. Also I am glad I cooked the orzo in a can of chicken broth instead of water because it gives the orzo a creamy texture without adding fat/calories. Yum- give this a shot soon!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
Garlic Powder (I used several heavy dashes of garlic powder)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can of chicken broth
Cooking spray
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Spray a small sauce pan with cooking spray. Add the orzo, stirring frequently until slightly toasted. Pour in the chicken broth. Cook until almost all of the broth is absorbed. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic powder to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done. Stir the orzo back into the skillet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

**8 points per serving (1/2 cup of orzo and 7 shrimp)