Creamy Tomato Butter Shrimp
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Picture yourself strolling down cobblestone streets overlooking clear turquoise waters, the ebbing waves gently crashing on rocks that just ever so slightly jut out. The setting sun reflecting on the water casts a magical glow. It’s a fishing town, and everybody is out to see the latest catch.
That image is what I imagine whenever I make this dish.
Plump, juicy shrimp in a buttery tomato sauce richly flavored with garlic, basil, Parmigiana Reggiano, and spinach. One bite and it takes me straight to a charming Italian fishing village. The best part, this delicious dish is full of veggies and can be ready to serve in under 30 minutes for any busy night or an impressive meal for entertaining or a dinner party with friends.
With so many varieties and options, buying shrimp can be extremely confusing. When buying shrimp, I like to look for wild-caught if that’s available. Not all shrimp are the same, and wild-caught shrimp just have a better, cleaner, deeper flavor than others; so if you can find them, I highly recommend them. Spot prawns are a delicious option, as are brown, white, or red prawns. You can buy them frozen or raw but IQF is my recommendation because, oftentimes, fresh are really just thawed frozen shrimp and you don’t know for how long they’ve been defrosted. My favorite frozen, sustainably farmed are Oishii [oh-ee-shee] brand. The shrimp are all-natural, sustainably harvested, minimally processed, and frozen within four hours of processing. And they are plump and delicious. Of course, if you have access to live shrimp fresh from the ocean, that’s incredible and local will most often be your best option.
Whatever is available to you, I recommend to buy shell-on shrimp. It may feel like a lot of work to peel and de-vein shrimp yourself, but there are great reasons to do so. Firstly, peeled and de-veined shrimp might come horrible mangled and unusable. They might also be shipped from another country with unfair labor practices and also be wasteful of fuel emissions for transportation. Last January, I assisted my good friend and chef Jen Carroll at the Cayman Cookout, and we peeled and de-veined over 1000 shrimp!! So I have faith that you can do it! When I buy shell-on, another perk is that I get more use out of them because I save and freeze the shells to later use for stock. Think of the all the delicious shrimp soups, stews, risottos, pastas you can make!
With Jen Carroll serving the 1000 shrimp we peeled and de-veined.
My favorite way to serve this dish is over rice or pasta, and with plenty of (gluten-free) bread for dipping — you’ll definitely want to soak up all of the sauce! The combination of flavors and textures is truly exceptional and makes for a satisfying meal that can be enjoyed any night of the week.
INGREDIENTS
Tomatoes: High in lycopene, Vitamin C & K, potassium, folate, and fiber, tomatoes have been linked to several potential benefits, including protection for brain, heart, skin, and gut health, as well as cancer prevention.
Garlic: Full of anti-inflammatory properties that can help boost your immune system and make it effective against fighting colds and infections, as well as antibiotic properties to fight bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even parasites.
Onion/Shallot: Potentially offer amazing health benefits, such as strong anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, and may help improve help improve diabetes and heart health, as well as may benefit your skin and hair.
Basil: Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, basil is a powerhouse benefiting digestion, skin health, mental health, heart health, and helping fight inflammation.
Spinach: Rich in iron, Vitamins C & E, potassium, and magnesium, spinach may help support immune function, bone health, eye health, the digestive system, and may even have anti-cancer properties.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: Rich in Vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and high-quality protein. While not suitable for people with a casein or cow's-milk allergy, it’s highly nutritious and can be a great choice for people who have lactose intolerance.
RECIPE NOTES:
You absolutely do not have to blanch and peel the tomatoes if you do not want or have the time to do so. But I do believe it is worth it to peel them because the tomato peels are a different texture than the flesh and will produce a smoother sauce.
Feel free to omit the spinach or use another green, if you prefer. It’s a great way to add extra veggies to your meal.
The best way to cut basil is to chiffonade it. It might sound complicated, but I want you to know that it is NOT as fancy or hard as it sounds. You first want to layer the basil leaves, with the stems removed, so the larger leaves are on the bottom and the smaller leaves on top. Stack them so the tops of the leaves face down. Starting at one of the long ends, roll the leaves as tightly as you can. Hold the roll with your non-dominant hand, and, using a sharp knife, cut super thin slices down the roll. Now that you’re done cutting the chiffonade, gently separate the ribbons of basil and voila! You’re ready to garnish your dish.
The sauce can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. I would just cook more shrimp a la minute to serve since shrimp doesn’t reheat well.
EQUIPMENT:
