Shrimp Puttanesca Skillet (Easy Mediterranean Shrimp)
Servings: people
This shrimp puttanesca skillet is a quick, one-pan Mediterranean dinner made with juicy shrimp, creamy cannellini beans, and a rich tomato sauce with olives and capers. It's hearty, flavorful, and perfect with crusty bread, pasta, rice, or polenta.
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled
- 1 can cannellini beans 15 oz / 400 g
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic sliced or grated
- 6 anchovy fillets optional
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
- 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes 28 oz / 800 g
- ½ cup kalamata olives pitted
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste, plus black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Start the sauce: Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil oil in a large skillet.Add 4 cloves garlic (grated), 6 anchovy fillets, 2 tablespoons capers (chopped) and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.Cook for about 60 seconds until fragrant.Add 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes and crush them with a spoon.Stir in ½ cup kalamata olives, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper.Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the beans: Add 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) and simmer for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the shrimp: Stir 1 pound large shrimp into the simmering sauce.Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pink and opaque.
- Finish and serve: Turn off the heat. Stir in ¼ cup chopped parsley.Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve straight from the skillet with crusty bread or as a sauce for pasta.
Notes
Substitutions
- Shrimp → Extra-large shrimp, scallops, firm white fish, or cooked chicken.
- Don't stress about deveining: It's optional and mostly for appearance. The vein is safe to eat.
- Cannellini beans → Butter beans, Great Northern beans, chickpeas, or lentils.
- Extra virgin olive oil → Avocado oil or another mild olive oil.
- Garlic → Garlic-infused olive oil or finely chopped shallot.
- Anchovies → Anchovy paste, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, or omit.
- Red pepper flakes → Aleppo pepper, Calabrian chili paste, or omit.
- Whole peeled tomatoes → Crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or fresh ripe tomatoes.
- Kalamata olives → Castelvetrano olives or Taggiasca olives.
- Capers → Chopped cornichons or extra lemon juice.
- Parsley → Basil, dill, or fresh oregano.
- Use good shrimp: The better the shrimp, the better the dish.
- Let the anchovies melt: They create a rich, savory sauce base.
- Don't overcook the shrimp: Cook just until pink and opaque.
- Simmer the sauce: It should be rich and spoonable, not watery.
- Taste before salting: Olives, capers, and anchovies add plenty of salt.
- Keep it simple: Skip the cheese, cream, and other extras.
- Serve your way: Great with bread, pasta, rice, or polenta.
- Store leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
