This creamy keto Tuscan shrimp recipe is a perfect comfort food dish. It’s incredibly delicious and comes together in under 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights. This one-skillet meal brings the rich and flavorful essence of Tuscan cuisine to your table with minimal effort, all while keeping your low-carb goals on track.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick Weeknight Recipe: This juicy shrimp recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
- Creamy Sauce: Who doesn’t love a creamy homemade sauce?
- Keto-Friendly: A mouthwatering keto-friendly recipe that's perfect for those busy weeknights.
- Versatile: It’s perfect just as is, or you serve it over some cauliflower rice.
- Beginner-Friendly: This creamy Tuscan shrimp is a great meal for a beginner too, so don’t be afraid to dive in there and get busy.
What is Tuscan Cuisine?
Tuscan food, also known as Tuscan cuisine, is rooted in the cooking styles of the Tuscany region in central Italy. It is renowned for its simplicity. It uses high-quality, locally sourced ingredients to create rich and flavorful dishes. Tuscan cuisine usually includes fresh produce, olive oil, and herbs to make simple sauces and dishes without much complication.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Shrimp: You will need to make sure the shrimp has been peeled, deveined, and the tails have been removed. It’s much easier to eat without the tails in this dish. Personally, I like using shrimp without their shells because it's easier to eat-peeling shrimp when they're covered in sauce can get messy. If you're down for the extra work, though, leaving the shells on will lead to a more flavorful sauce. Shrimp shells provide tons of delicious seafood flavor, which is why they are often a main ingredient in seafood stock. Large raw shrimp or uncooked jumbo shrimp will work perfectly. Yes, you can easily swap fresh shrimp for frozen shrimp. You will just need to thaw it in cool water. Typically, it will be defrosted in around 15 minutes. It’s important that you never try to thaw the shrimp with warm or hot water. It should always be cool or cold water.
- Olive oil: While you can use other oils if you’d rather, I prefer cooking shrimp in olive oil. It tastes great and cooks perfectly.
- Butter: Using butter not only adds healthy fat to the Tuscan shrimp, but it also enhances the flavor too. Yum!
- Garlic: When it comes to Italian cooking, you can’t go wrong with adding lots of yummy garlic! Cloves garlic are essential for that aromatic base.
- Tomatoes: You can use cherry, grape, or even sun-dried tomatoes with this Tuscan butter shrimp. They all offer a delicious sweetness that makes it taste even better. I used sun-dried tomatoes in oil to make this dish and just roughly chopped them.
- Baby spinach: I love the look and pop of color of using baby spinach, not to mention all the nutrients you from it too. Fresh works best, but you can use frozen if necessary.
- Heavy cream: The Tuscan shrimp gets all its creaminess from the heavy cream! Once you try it, you’ll see it’s an incredible dish you can’t help but fall in love with. Half and half or heavy whipping cream: Want a lighter version?
- Freshly grated Parmesan: You could use packaged Parmesan, but it tastes so much better when you freshly grate it instead. For the cheese, I recommend buying a wedge of Parmesan and grating it yourself. If you’d like, you can substitute with Asiago or Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Basil: Either basil or parsley make a delightful garnish and vibrant flavor to the shrimp dinner.
- Salt & pepper: Just add as much salt and pepper as you like.
- Lemon wedges: for serving (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook the Shrimp: In a large skillet, heat oil. Season shrimp all over with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering but not smoking, add shrimp and sear until underside is golden, about 2 minutes, then flip until opaque. Remove from skillet and set aside. In a large skillet, over medium high heat, saute shrimp in butter and olive oil 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Add garlic during last minute.
- Sauté Aromatics: Reduce heat to medium and add butter. When butter has melted, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to burst then add spinach and cook until spinach is beginning to wilt. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is super hot and the butter has melted, add the shrimp and a generous sprinkle of salt & pepper, sautee for 1 minute. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside then add the garlic, tomatoes, and spinach to the same pan. Saute for 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Make the Creamy Tuscan Sauce: Stir in the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and basil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced about 2-3 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese, heavy whipping cream, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Simmer 2-3 minutes, until heated through.
Tips for the Perfect Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. Shrimp cook fast, so keep an eye on them to avoid rubbery shrimp.
- Deglaze like a pro. Deglaze the pan by slowly adding the wine while stirring to get the bits off the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce by half.
- Fresh Ingredients Matter: Using fresh Parmesan and basil will significantly enhance the flavor of the dish.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is filling all on its own, but if you’d like, you can serve it over some cauliflower rice. You have some awesome low carb options for serving this shrimp! You can always start your meal with a green salad. We especially love Caesar salads and wedge salads. I also love to chop up some iceberg or romaine lettuce, then serve it with our favorite salad toppings. Some of our favorites include bacon, diced tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, shredded cheese, and sliced avocados. You can also serve this dish with a side of cooked vegetables. Some great low carb choices include asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and green beans. You can also serve this shrimp with a side of keto biscuits, cornbread, or English muffins.
My favorite way to serve this dish is over pasta, or with plenty of French bread for dipping-soaking up all of that delicious sauce is key. If you'd like to go a lighter route, pair it with a crunchy Caesar salad, or our sheet-pan panzanella. Serve it with these keto Brussels sprouts for one of the most flavorful and satisfying keto meals you’ve ever had!
Can I Freeze Leftovers?
Sorry, but freezing isn’t the best idea for this one. The creamy sauce might not hold up well when thawed.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Allow the Tuscan shrimp to cool down all the way, then place it in an airtight container. It should be kept in the refrigerator until ready to warm up. It will last 3-4 days in the fridge. Never freeze the shrimp recipe, or the sauce will separate and it won’t look or taste too good.
When you’re ready to enjoy those leftovers, reheat gently in a pan over low heat, stirring often, until warm. You can also use a microwave-safe dish and heat in short bursts, stirring in between. Keep a close watch on it and don’t heat it too long or the shrimp will become tough. You can also warm the shrimp up in the microwave if you don’t have access to a stove. Just warm it for a minute or so and check it. You’ll need to check it often because it can become rubbery if cooked too long.
Is It Gluten-Free?
Sure thing! It’s already gluten-free as-is (double check your own ingredients).
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