Greek Shrimp in Tomato Sauce with Herbs (Garides Saganaki)

Greek Fast With Fish Published April 11, 2026

Garides saganaki is one of the great Greek taverna dishes — plump shrimp baked in a bubbling, herb-spiked tomato sauce, traditionally topped with crumbled feta that melts into salty pools in the sauce. This version skips the feta (no dairy during fasting) and lets the tomato sauce and shrimp carry the dish. Without the cheese, the flavors become cleaner and more direct — the sweetness of the shrimp, the acidity of the tomato, the anise note of ouzo, and the warmth of oregano all come through with nothing to mute them.

The dish is named for the small two-handled pan (saganaki) it is traditionally cooked and served in. If you have one, use it. If not, a small oven-safe skillet does the job.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Fish (fish and oil permitted — shrimp are shellfish, permitted on all fasting days)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 500g large shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave tails on for presentation)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (400g) crushed San Marzano tomatoes (or best quality available)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup ouzo (or substitute 1 tablespoon Pernod, or omit — see notes)
- 1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar (to balance tomato acidity)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Small handful of fresh dill, chopped
- Crusty bread, for serving

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

2. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet or saganaki pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6-7 minutes until soft and translucent.

3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute — it should darken slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the oil begins to separate at the edges.

5. If using ouzo, add it now. It will flame briefly if the pan is hot enough — this is normal and burns off quickly. If it does not flame, simply stir it in. The alcohol cooks off in seconds; what remains is the anise flavor.

6. Nestle the shrimp into the tomato sauce in a single layer. Do not stir them in — they should sit on top of the sauce, half-submerged.

7. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through and the sauce is bubbling vigorously.

8. Remove from the oven. Scatter generously with fresh parsley and dill. Serve immediately in the pan with crusty bread for soaking up every drop of sauce.

NOTES

- Ouzo is the traditional addition and gives the dish its characteristic anise depth. It contains alcohol, which cooks off during simmering. If you avoid all alcohol during fasting, omit it entirely — the dish is still excellent without it. Some substitute a small pinch of anise seed or fennel seed.
- Do not overcook the shrimp. They go from perfectly tender to rubbery in about 90 seconds. Pull the pan from the oven when the shrimp are just pink — residual heat finishes the cooking.
- The traditional version tops this with crumbled feta before baking. During fasting, the cheese is omitted and nothing replaces it. The dish is lighter and the tomato-shrimp balance comes forward.
- San Marzano tomatoes make a noticeable difference here. Their lower acidity and sweeter flavor means less sugar is needed and the sauce tastes rounder.
- Serve with bread. The sauce is the point — the bread is how you get every last drop of it.