This one-pan creamy Tuscan shrimp has pan-seared shrimp swimming in a buttery, rich cream sauce packed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Easy to make and guaranteed to impress!
This dish comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s a great option for low-carb, high-protein meals. Pair it with a salad or sautéed beans along with the bread of your choice. I usually stir this creamy Tuscan shrimp with pasta (any pasta will work), which can be a stand-alone meal.
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Tuscan shrimp pasta
This is not the traditional recipe from Tuscany, it adapted recipe of Tuscan chicken served in Olive Garden Italian restaurant.
Bright flavors from sun-dried tomatoes, freshness from basil, and nutrients from baby spinach work very well with shrimp and creamy sauce that has wonderful creamy garlic parmesan flavors. The sauce is killer! It’s bursting with flavors; it is sure to become your family favorite!
On busy weekdays when you are pressed for time and want to make a meal that involves minimal effort and time, this creamy Tuscan shrimp tossed with pasta is a great dinner to serve to the family.
- Creamy comfort food that is packed with protein and nutrients.
- Very easy to make with minimal effort.
- Dinner is made in under 30 minutes making it a great option for weeknight dinner.
- Loaded with flavors that will make this dish a family favorite.
Ingredients needed
Here’s what you’ll need-
- Shrimp
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in oil)
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Italian seasoning
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Baby spinach
- Fresh basil
- Parsley
All ingredient’s exact measurements in indicated in the recipe card below.
- Shrimp – large raw shrimp is what I recommend. You can use any type of shrimp or prawns for this recipe. Peel and devein fresh raw shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, remember to thaw completely before cooking.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – use the best quality sun-dried tomatoes. I highly recommend sun-dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil. If you can’t get it, use sun-dried tomatoes that are not soaked in oil. You need to drain sun-dried tomatoes from olive oil before use. To utilize all the wonderful flavors of tomatoes soaking in oil, I drain most oil but leave about a tablespoon which I use in the recipe to sauté shrimp.
- Baby spinach – packs nutrients. It’s also a great addition to the creamy Tuscan shrimp recipe. If you can’t find baby spinach, use regular spinach, chop it into small pieces before use.
- White wine – it’s optional, I highly recommend it. Dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. It’s used to deglaze the pan and adds much-needed acidity.
- Aromats (onion & garlic) – use yellow diced onion and minced garlic for flavor and taste. Use loads of garlic if you are a garlic lover.
- Flour – use plain flour. The flour helps to thicken the sauce.
- Fresh basil – it’s optional. Use it for freshness and flavor.
- Heavy cream – indulge in making the best smooth creamy sauce by using heavy. Do not substitute heavy cream with half and half or milk. Substituting cream will make the sauce light, and thin and will lack the rich taste.
- Parmesan – freshly grated parmesan cheese for a salty tang flavor.
- Seasoning – salt, pepper, smoked paprika. Adjust the amount according to taste.
How to make
This dish comes together in under 30 minutes. If planning to use frozen shrimp, I recommend you thaw it the previous night in the refrigerator.
Use olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes to sauté shrimp. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add peeled, deveined raw shrimp to the pan. Season shrimp with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and smoked paprika. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Once the shrimp is nicely browned on both sides, transfer it to a plate, and set aside.
To the same pan add butter. Saute diced yellow onion for about a minute. Add in minced garlic and continue to cook for 20-30 seconds.
Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and stir cook for a minute.
Stir in flour and mix well until combined. Continue to cook with frequent stirring until the flour is fragrant (cooked).
Deglaze pan with dry white wine. Add the seasoning – salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir well and bring the sauce to simmer on medium heat. Keep stirring and cook until the sauce is thickened.
Stir in heavy cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Cook until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Note – if the sauce turns thick, adjust the consistency by adding little water.
Stir in spinach, a handful of fresh basil leaves, and sautéed shrimp. Mix well until combined.
Toss cooked pasta with this creamy Tuscan shrimp to make a meal.
Servings suggestion
There are so many ways to serve this creamy Tuscan shrimp. You can serve it over a plate of pasta (any pasta of your choice). With crusty bread on the dish to mop off the delicious creamy sauce in the end, it’s the best comfort food.
Serve it as it is with sauteed beans or sauteed broccolini or sauteed spinach and mashed potato or mashed cauliflower for a complete meal.
How to store
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Pasta and creamy Tuscan shrimp can be stored separately and when ready to serve warm the sauce until heated and then toss in pasta with it.
I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Reheat
To reheat, heat the creamy sauce in a pan on the stovetop on low heat for 5 minutes or until the sauce is hot. If the sauce is too thick, adjust the consistency by adding a splash of water (about 1 tablespoon at a time).
To reheat in the microwave use microwave safe bowl cover with a lid and reheat in the microwave. Reheat on high power at 15-20 seconds increment.
Variations
Add veggies – along with spinach you can use other veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, and asparagus. Feel free to substitute baby spinach with kale.
Subs sun-dried tomatoes – though sun-dried tomatoes are crucial in this recipe, if you don’t like it or can’t get it you can make Tuscan shrimp with fresh cherry tomatoes as well. Cut cherry tomatoes into half before use. Remember if you substitute sun-dried tomatoes with fresh cherry tomatoes, the dish will lack the iconic Tuscan flavor.
Frozen spinach – fresh baby spinach is best. But for convenience, you can manage with frozen spinach as well. Remember to thaw frozen spinach and squeeze out all the excess liquid thoroughly before adding it to the sauce.
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📋One Pan Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon olive oil drained from sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 oz sun-dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil
- 1 teaspoon flour
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated from block
- 1 ½ cup baby spinach
- Handful of fresh basil leaves
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Use olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes to sauté shrimp. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add peeled, deveined raw shrimp to the pan. Season shrimp with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and smoked paprika. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Once the shrimp is nicely browned on both sides, transfer it to a plate, and set aside.
- To the same pan add butter. Saute diced yellow onion for about a minute. Add in minced garlic and continue to cook for 20-30 seconds.
- Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and stir cook for a minute.
- Stir in flour and mix well until combined. Continue to cook with frequent stirring until the flour is fragrant (cooked).
- Deglaze pan with dry white wine. Add the seasoning – salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir well and bring the sauce to simmer on medium heat. Keep stirring and cook until the sauce is thickened.
- Stir in heavy cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Cook until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Note – if the sauce turns thick, adjust the consistency by adding little water.
- Stir in spinach, a handful of fresh basil leaves, and sautéed shrimp. Mix well until combined.
- Toss cooked pasta with this creamy Tuscan shrimp to make a meal.
Notes
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
Thank you for stopping by.
I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Comments & Reviews
Kerri says
This was really good! I doubled the sauce, left out the flour (the sauce was thick enough), and added a diced fresh jalapeño and tomatoes. I made this recipe, then made it again less than a week later.
Jyothi Rajesh says
Glad you loved the recipe, Kerri. Thank you.