This Creamy Tuscan Shrimp is an easy, irresistible one-pan meal!
Plump shrimp are cooked in a thick, creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and more.
And it’s low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I’ll automatically receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
Why this recipe works
A creamy sauce with onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach sounds good enough to drink. There’s a reason why I already made this sauce once for my Paleo Tuscan Chicken recipe.
But why stop there? The same sauce is just as good with plump, juicy shrimp. And just as easy to make. Easier, actually! You don’t have to brown the shrimp first like you do with the chicken. So this version is not just easier but faster, too.
You might be confused when you see the sauce consists of coconut milk, chicken broth and nutritional yeast. But I promise, with all the other ingredients, you don’t taste the coconut. And if you’re not a fan of nutritional yeast, I still recommend keeping it in. It helps add a savory flavor that covers up the coconut flavor.
You can serve this with cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes (like these Paleo mashed potatoes) or roasted potatoes. Or, if you’re not Paleo or Whole30, serve it with regular rice (wild rice is particularly good here).
What you need
Ingredients:
- 1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (with the cream and water well-blended). Do not use lite coconut milk or the kind from a carton. Both will be too thin to create a thick sauce.
- ½ cup chicken broth – You can use store-bought or homemade, such as this Instant Pot bone broth.
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast – This adds a mild savory flavor (almost like Parmesan cheese) that helps cover up the flavor from the coconut milk. Even if you don’t like nutritional yeast, I suggest leaving it in.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ yellow or red onion, peeled and diced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as necessary
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning – If your Italian seasoning contains salt, then reduce the above amount of salt to 1/4 teaspoon. If it contains garlic, then reduce the amount of fresh garlic to 1 clove
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes – This adds just a bit of heat to cut through the creaminess. It’s really not very much but you can add more or less depending on your preference.
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained, patted dry and roughly chopped – If you can only find the kind packed dry, rehydrate them by submerging in oil or water for 30 minutes, then draining, patting dry and roughly chopping.
- 3 cups spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen; you can use frozen chopped or whole leaf spinach) – You can use other hearty greens like Swiss chard or kale, just be sure to not add the stems.
- 1 pound shrimp – I use frozen peeled, deveined and tail-off shrimp, 51-60 per pound. I thaw them by placing them in a colander under cold running water for about 5 minutes, drain, and pat dry and a clean towel or paper towels. If you use larger shrimp, that’s fine, they’ll just need a little longer to cook.
- freshly ground black pepper
- optional: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or thyme
Equipment:
- a large skillet
- a heat-proof/wooden spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a measuring glass – 2-cup or 4-cup
- a medium mixing bowl
- a cutting board
- a chef’s knife
- a whisk
- paper towels
- a colander (if you need to thaw and drain frozen shrimp; see ingredients above for more details)
How to make Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
Step 1: In a measuring glass or medium mixing bowl, whisk the coconut milk, broth and nutritional yeast. Set aside. (If you have a small whisk, you can measure all the ingredients into a measuring glass and whisk them in that.)
Step 2: Add the oil to a large skillet and place over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Step 3: Add the milk mixture and use the spatula to scrape up the bottom of the pan (adding flavor and making the pan easier to clean later.)
Step 4: Add the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Raise the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and let it simmer strongly for 5-8 minutes, until reduced and thickened.
Step 5: Stir the shrimp into the pan, trying to submerge them as much as possible into the sauce. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add a few grinds of fresh black pepper, then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle on the fresh herbs, if using, then serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can use one large shallot in place of the onion.
No fresh garlic? Add ½ teaspoon garlic powder along with the salt and Italian seasoning to the onions (unless your Italian seasoning already has garlic, in which case only add ¼ teaspoon extra garlic powder).
You can add more or less red pepper flakes, or leave them out entirely. If you don’t have any but still want a bit of heat, you can add a bit of ground cayenne pepper to the milk/broth mixture.
Even if you don’t love nutritional yeast, I recommend leaving it in. It adds a mild savory flavor that helps cover up the coconut milk flavor.
You can use other hearty greens like Swiss chard or kale, just be sure to not add the stems.
You can use larger shrimp but you’ll have to cook them longer.
You can prepare the recipe right up until before you add the shrimp. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. Reheat in a large skillet, add the shrimp and proceed with the recipe.
Leftovers can be chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat.
Before adding the shrimp, the sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and proceed with the recipe).
Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet over low heat.
Yep. The recipe as written contains no gluten, grains, dairy, legumes or other non-Paleo ingredients, making it suitable for a Paleo lifestyle.
Yep. The recipe as written contains no gluten, grains, dairy, legumes or other non-Whole30 ingredients, making it compatible for a Whole30 round.
Yep! This recipe has only 9g of carbs per serving, making it suitable for a low carb lifestyle. Serve with riced or mashed cauliflower to keep it low carb.
Yep! This recipe has 9g of carbs and 3g of fiber per serving, coming to only 6g of net carbs, making it suitable for a keto lifestyle. Plus it’s also a good source of healthy fat and protein.
Other recipes you might like:
- Paleo Tuscan Chicken (Whole30)
- Paleo Shrimp Sampi (Whole30)
- Whole30 Shrimp Fried Rice
- Tequila Pineapple Shrimp Skewers (Paleo/Whole30 options)
Creamy Tuscan Shrimp (Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk cream and water well-blended
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ red or yellow onion peeled and diced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more as necessary
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil drained, patted dry and roughly chopped
- 3 cups spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen) you can use frozen chopped or whole leaf spinach
- 1 pound shrimp see notes
- freshly ground black pepper
- optional: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs like basil, parsley or thyme
Instructions
- In a 2- or 4-cup measuring glass or medium bowl, whisk the coconut milk, broth and nutritional yeast. Set aside. (If you have a small whisk, you can measure all the ingredients into a measuring glass and whisk them in that.)
- Add the oil to a large skillet and place over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the milk mixture and use the spatula to scrape up the bottom of the pan (adding flavor and making the pan easier to clean later.)
- Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Raise the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and let it simmer strongly for 5-8 minutes, until reduced and thickened.
- Stir the shrimp into the pan, trying to submerge them as much as possible into the sauce. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until pink and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add a few grinds of fresh black pepper, then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle on the fresh herbs, if using, then serve and enjoy!
Leave a Reply