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Spicy Calabrian Shrimp with White Beans
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Sautéed shrimp are served in a spicy Calabrian chili white wine and garlic sauce with creamy cannellini beans. Enjoy this unique and fiery take on classic shrimp scampi with plenty of bread for soaking up the sauce. While it seems like a lot of Calabrian chili, the creaminess of the white beans cuts down and balances the heat. This dish comes together quickly making it perfect for an impressive, yet easy, weeknight dinner that can be doubled or even tripled to feed a crowd.
Spicy Calabrian Shrimp with White Beans
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Shrimp – Terms used to refer to shrimp like “jumbo” and “extra jumbo” and “colossal” actually aren’t standardized terms within the industry. Rather than looking at the key word, look at the number of shrimp per pound labeled as the count. I like the 16/20 count shrimp for this recipe, it means there will be between 16 and 20 shrimp per pound. In this recipe each person will get 4 to 5 shrimp.
- Calabrian chili – These fruity and spicy Italian peppers are typically sold chopped or crushed and packed in a neutral oil. I like this brand here on Amazon. Trader Joe’s bomba sauce also works well.
- Garlic – I recommend using fresh cloves of garlic. Pre-minced jars of garlic don’t taste the same. It loses a lot of the powerful garlic flavor when it’s jarred. Sautéing the chopped garlic mellows the flavor and makes it incredibly fragrant.
- White wine – A bit of white wine is used to deglaze the pan so that any browned bits from the shrimp infuse the sauce with flavor. The wine also simmers the beans so they are extremely tender.
- Beans – Cannellini beans, also known as white navy beans, help cut down the heat from the Calabrian chilies. These small white beans can be used interchangeably with great northern beans. I love using them in this dish for their smooth, slightly nutty texture.
- Lemon zest – The lemon zest adds a wonderful brightness that perfectly balances the spice from the chilies.
How to Make Spicy Calabrian Shrimp with White Beans
Step 1: Season shrimp.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Season the shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Working in batches if needed to not overcrowd the pan, add the shrimp to the pan.
Step 2: Cook shrimp.
Cook the shrimp until pink and no longer translucent, about 1½ minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan to a plate or bowl and cover.
Step 3: Cook garlic.
Return the pan to medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt, then add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Calabrian chili paste.
Step 4: Deglaze pan and add beans.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the white beans and stir to combine. Continue to cook over low heat until the beans are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the lemon zest and half the herbs, stirring to combine.
Step 5: Assemble and serve.
Return the shrimp to the pan, stirring to combine. Divide among serving bowls, garnish with the remaining herbs and serve with bread.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- Other shellfish like scallops or steamed clams would also pair well with this sauce and preparation.
- While I like serving this with toasted bread, you can also serve it over your favorite pasta shape.
How to thaw frozen shrimp
If you didn’t plan far enough ahead of time for a dinner that needs to be on the table in an hour, don’t worry. To quickly thaw frozen shrimp, fill a bowl with cold water. Add the shrimp and replace the water every 5 to 10 minutes until completely thawed, about 20 minutes. Warm water will change the texture of the shrimp so make sure your water is cold! Pat dry with paper towels and use as needed.
Kylie’s Tip
When you’re cooking shrimp keep an eye on their shape to make sure they are cooked to perfection. Look for them to go from a U shape to a C shape, indicating they are perfectly cooked. Once they form a tight O they are overcooked.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this Calabrian shrimp recipe, give these a try:
Spicy Calabrian Shrimp with White Beans
Rate this Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound peeled and deveined extra-jumbo 16/20 count shrimp
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chili
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives, divided
- Toasted sourdough bread, for serving
Instructions:
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Season the shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Working in batches if needed to not overcrowd the pan, add the shrimp to the pan.
- Cook the shrimp until pink and no longer translucent, about 1½ minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan to a plate or bowl and cover.
- Return the pan to medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt, then add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Calabrian chili paste.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the white beans and stir to combine. Continue to cook over low heat until the beans are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the lemon zest and half the herbs, stirring to combine.
- Return the shrimp to the pan, stirring to combine. Divide among serving bowls, garnish with the remaining herbs and serve with bread.
Nutrition:
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a lovely dish! legumes are a plus for me too, white beans, great, really any of them, supposed to get more into my diet and shrimp always works for me, thank you!
So happy to hear it!! Thank you for sharing Sabrina!
I like this recipe especially because of your use of Calabrian chile. I think it adds flavor as well as heat, as opposed to red pepper flakes as some suggest. The only thing I would add is some anchovy to the garlic mix.
So happy to hear you enjoyed! Oh love that idea! You’re right, anchovy would be a great addition.