Birthday Dinner Recreated: Creamy Orzo with Roasted Shrimp

Last night I recreated my birthday dinner (see point number 3 here) that I thoroughly enjoyed at Yia Yias this past summer.  I've been thinking about it since then and finally decided to try to make the recipe at home.
I started with this creamy orzo recipe that I found on Pinterest.  I did not use spinach but I did use frozen peas, corn and roasted tomatoes.  When I combined all of the ingredients at the end, I had to thin out the sauce a bit with chicken broth -- it had gotten a little too pasty.  I also topped the orzo with cajun roasted shrimp. 
I wish I had snapped a picture but it was like a race to the finish line to get dinner on the table and eat while we trying to stretch Mason out before putting him in the tub and getting him ready for bed (this time change has been a little tricky!).
Here is my recipe in its entirety:
Creamy Orzo with Roasted Shrimp (adapted from familyfreshmeals.com)
For the orzo:
1.5 cups orzo pasta2 Tbsp olive oil, divided2 cloves garlic, mincedsalt & pepper1 pint of half and half (or a little more)3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese1.5 cups frozen peas
1.5 cups frozen corn
1 container cherry tomatoes2 scallions, thinly slicedchicken broth to thin sauce

For the shrimp:
1 pound raw shrimp, with the shells on
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
cajun seasoning
In a large pot of boiling , salted water, cook the orzo until al dente, 8-10 mins drain.

Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a shallow pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the shrimp by peeling the each shrimp and leaving the tails on. Pat the shrimp dry and place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with cajun seasoning.  I just used a bottle that I had in our cabinet.  Place the shrimp in the oven when the tomatoes have five minutes left on their cooking time and roast for five minutes -- be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

Meanwhile in a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat add the garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until just softened, about 30 seconds.

Stir in half and half and 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and simmer, whisking often, until just thickened, 2-3 mins.  


Stir in the cooked orzo, peas, and corn, season with salt and pepper.  Continue stirring until peas and corn are warmed through.  Add roasted tomatoes and stir gently. 

Top with roasted shrimp and enjoy.

I served this dish with a tossed salad and we were both happy and stuffed!