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All you need is one pan and 30 minutes to prepare this delicious shrimp with white beans in tomato sauce. Top the sweet shrimp in a savory, rich sauce with lemon herb oil for one satisfying meal.
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Watch how to make this
What makes this dish special
Right before the quarantine, I made a big purchase for work. As a private chef, I prepare daily lunches for about 30 people and often buy in bulk. This recent shopping trip included 4 pounds of shrimp, 20 pounds of chicken, 4 pounds of bacon, and 8 pounds of pork shoulder. Now with the shutdown, it was all for my husband and me. I've been eating endless shrimp dinners, including Asian shrimp sesame shrimp meatballs, Mediterranean shrimp pasta salad, and skillet-toasted penne pasta with Cajun shrimp.
To finish the last two pounds of shrimp, I decided to whip up a quick pantry dinner using the seafood. A little of this and a little of that, and here we are with shrimp with white beans in tomato sauce.
Inspired by Alison Roman's famous caramelized shallot pasta, I took that idea and used caramelized shallots to make one flavor bomb of a sauce. Top it with seared shrimp, a lemon herb oil, and some crusty bread, and we have one delicious dinner.
Recipe
Shrimp with White Beans in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Lemon herb oil
- ⅓ cup parsley
- ⅓ cup basil
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- juice of ½ lemon
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
Remaining ingredients
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined
- salt and pepper
- 6 shallots thinly sliced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup white wine
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 14 ounces cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- salt and pepper
- crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Make the lemon herb oil. Blend together parsley, basil, cilantro, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, the juice of ½ lemon, and olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Sear the shrimp until pink and cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In the same pan, heat remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and white wine, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer. Add canned tomatoes, cannellini beans, and fresh thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add back the shrimp and drizzle the lemon herb oil on top. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make lemon herb oil
Don't you love it when you think of a dish and you happen to have all of the ingredients? Hopefully, this applies to you for this shrimp with white beans in tomato sauce recipe. I wanted to keep it relatively basic with ingredients that you can easily swap out.
For instance, lemon herb oil can easily be adapted to what you have on hand. I used a combination of parsley, basil, and cilantro, but you can use only one or two of the three. Feel free to also swap out the lemon for a lime.
Puree the ingredients in a blender, season with salt and pepper, and set aside for later.
Feel free to make the lemon herb oil up to 3 days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before using.
Step 2: Caramelize shallots
For the main dish, I like to sear the shrimp first to avoid having more than one pan to wash later.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, laying them in one even layer.
To allow even cooking, avoid overcrowding the pan. If you can't fit all the shrimp at once, it's best to cook them in 2 batches.
If you're using frozen shrimp, make sure to defrost the shrimp and pat them dry to blot out the excess water before adding them to the pan.
Continue to cook the shrimp until firm and pink. We're only adding them back at the end of the dish, so we want to fully cook them.
Next, heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the thinly sliced shallots. Continue to cook the shallots until they soften and caramelize, about 15-20 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, you can add a splash of water.
Caramelizing shallots takes a bit of time, so if you're in a rush, you can caramelize the onions ahead of time and reheat them the following day.
If you're a fan of caramelized shallots like I am, be sure to check out this caramelized shallot cheesy bread, which also features them!
Step 3: Add back the shrimp
Now that the shallots are ready, it's time to finish building the sauce. Add the tomato paste and white wine, and bring it to a simmer, stirring until the paste dissolves into the wine.
Then, add the canned tomatoes, canned beans, and fresh thyme. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. You can substitute the fresh thyme for dried thyme.
Give the sauce a final seasoning adjustment with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp back to the pan, tossing to combine, and finish the dish with a drizzle of the lemon herb oil.
I have to say, for some basic ingredients, this shrimp with white beans in tomato sauce tastes like a fancy meal. I like to serve this dish with crusty bread on the side. In fact, it's almost imperative to serve this with bread to soak up all that beautiful sauce. And yes, I did lick my plate clean.
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The lemon herb oil can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. The dish can be cooked earlier in the day and reheated right before serving.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator and store for up to 3 days. Store any leftover lemon herb oil in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Bring it to room temperature before using it again, and give it a good stir to recombine the ingredients.
More one-pan seafood recipes
Looking for more one-pan seafood dishes? Try these:
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