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Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Nut-Free/Vegan Option
Skill Level: Beginner
Yield: Serves 4-5 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes with shrimp that are already peeled and deveined/30-40 minutes if you are peeling and deveining the shrimp on your own
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Equipment Needed:
Paring knife (if peeling your own shrimp)
The Recipe:
This recipe is adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans
2 cup baby arugula, chopped coarse
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Procedure:
Empty cannellini beans into a colander set into the sink and rinse thoroughly.
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season generously with kosher salt and pepper.
Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until the oil has just begun to smoke.
Carefully add shrimp in a single layer and cook without disturbing for about 1 minute, or until you can see the edges of the shrimp starting to turn pink.
Pull the pan off the heat and flip the shrimp over using tongs or a fish spatula. Let them sit in the pan until they are opaque (no longer see-through), about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
Heat 1/4 c. olive oil in skillet (no need to clean in between) over medium heat until the oil shimmers.
Add bell pepper, onion, 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the the vegetables begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper (if using), and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
Stir in beans and cook until heated through, 4-5 minutes.
Add chopped arugula and the cooked shrimp (pour any juices accumulated from the shrimp in the bowl into the skillet as well) and gently toss for about 1 minute.
Stir in lemon juice, taste and adjust with salt and pepper according to your liking.
To Serve: This dish is excellent as a light main course meal with a loaf of crusty bread on the side.
Adjusting for your diet: To make this meal vegan, omit the shrimp and toss in your favorite protein (or go without); I think a marinated and lightly fried tofu would be great here. You could also try rehydrating soy curls, seasoning with your favorite blend, lightly sautéing and adding to this dish for a little extra interest as well.
Tips:
You could substitute the cannellini beans for another white bean such as navy or great northern beans, depending on what you have on hand.
I made this for my family so I did leave out the crushed red pepper since my kids aren't too into spice (yet...), but I served it on the side so that those of us who like things spicy could sprinkle it on top.
I think a lot of people have a tendency to overcook shrimp; you really only need to cook them until they are pink and you can no longer see through them, which usually goes really fast (especially at high heat). Overcooked shrimp have a chewy/rubbery texture that can be really unpleasant.
I love arugula, but it does have a very peppery taste that some might not appreciate. If you know you don't like arugula, you could substitute baby spinach or even basil instead.
This meal fed 3 adults and 3 kids with leftovers for us.
The Story:
My family has a nice, healthy obsession with shrimp. My husband and I have been known to hide shrimp cocktail from the kids when we have friends over because otherwise they will try to take too many and we'll end up swatting little hands away from the "grown-up" snack tray.
I've also learned that our 2-year old is obsessed with beans of any type. So when I found a traditional Italian recipe for shrimp and white beans, it seemed like a no-brainer that we would try this one out on a warm spring evening.
This dish was so delightful; nice and light, great flavor, and it felt very clean with the simple dressing of olive oil, salt and pepper. I love the peppery bite that arugula brings to the table, and although I wasn't sure how my kids would feel about it, they took it down with no complaints. I've found that if I don't psych them out on a food (for example, saying something like "I'm not sure if you'll like this, but let's just try it") that I have a greater success rate with them liking something new.
I served this with a loaf of crusty French bread, but it could easily go without a side. I think doing something like a cool fruit salad with a little mint could also be a really nice contrast. I ate leftovers of this dish the next morning, topped with a poached egg (my favorite weekend breakfast is always a scavenged plate of leftovers with a poached egg on top).
Happy tasting!
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