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This creamy garlic Tuscan shrimp recipe with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and basil is rich, decadent, and ready in about 15 minutes!
You may also like my Creamy Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp or this Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi recipe.
Why you’ll love it
This creamy Tuscan shrimp recipe is one of those dinners that makes it seem like you tried very hard, but the minimal time and effort involved makes it perfect for weeknights! It’s super easy, quick, and really, really tasty and impressive.
The classic flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and basil are the ideal bright contrast to the cream, and it all just goes so well together. And there’s plenty of garlic. Nobody can say no to this restaurant-quality shrimp recipe whenever we serve it for easy entertaining.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Shrimp – I used frozen ones that are deveined and already peeled for convenience.
- Butter and flour – to make a quick roux that’ll thicken up the sauce
- Garlic – we’re pretty generous here, but add even more if you like! This garlic press makes mincing effortless without having to peel the cloves.
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce luxurious. I wouldn’t sub it out for anything else.
- Lemon juice – for a little bit of acidity and brightness. Always use freshly squeezed.
- Italian seasoning – it’s a versatile blend of dried herbs in a single jar that includes rosemary and thyme and others to jazz up so many dishes
- Sun-dried tomatoes – one of our star components that plays so well with the basil
- Spinach and basil – for a burst of freshness, texture, and flavor
Pro tip
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for something like half-and-half of milk since the sauce may curdle and it’ll end up thinner and less rich. You’d have to add more flour for the sauce to thicken properly as well.
How to make Tuscan shrimp
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the flour to make a roux, followed by the garlic. Stir in the cream, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer.
Add in the shrimp, and cook until they’re pink and cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit. Stir in the spinach and basil and simmer until wilted. Season with salt & pepper and serve immediately. Top with a squeeze of lemon and fresh parmesan if desired.
Shrimp tips for success
- I used 31-40 count size shrimp in this Tuscan garlic butter shrimp recipe. Technically these are considered large shrimp, but to me they’re more of a medium size when compared to some of the REALLY large shrimp out there. Anyway, any medium-to-large shrimp would work. To thaw, just run under cool water.
- Unless you live right by the ocean, frozen shrimp are actually a great choice because the ones at the seafood counter are usually just thawed anyway and less fresh when you get them.
- I prefer using raw shrimp in 99% of recipes, including this one, because they cook very fast and double-cooking can lead to rubbery shrimp. You could use already cooked shrimp, but be sure to just heat them through!
- I don’t take the tails off the shrimp (mostly for the photos to add some contrast), but feel free to take them off if you prefer.
Substitutions and variations
- Want to try this recipe with chicken? You will love my Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe.
- If you’re not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, you could use a chopped fresh tomato, but then it will no longer be that iconic Tuscan flavor combo. Also, the sauce may end up thinner, but you’re welcome to try it that way.
- I highly suggest using fresh spinach, but in a pinch you can use frozen as long as you thaw it and thoroughly squeeze out all the excess water. But do try to get your hands on the fresh variety for the full experience!
How to serve Tuscan shrimp
- They’re great served over pasta, rice, or Mashed Potatoes.
- A dusting of freshly grated parmesan over top would be extremely tasty.
- You can also just eat this recipe as-is and grab a big slice of crusty bread for all that delicious sauce! Or go all out and have a slice of Garlic Bread.
- Pair it with a side salad. Try mixed greens with this Easy Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- These creamy Tuscan shrimp will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Make sure you don’t leave them sitting out for too long before refrigerating leftovers, though.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing this since the cream sauce won’t hold up well.
- To reheat, warm up slowly in a small saucepan over a low heat so the sauce doesn’t separate, stirring occasionally.
Questions, or want to leave a review? Talk to me in the comments below! 🙂 You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp (I used 31-40 count size) thawed & peeled
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped or julienned
- 1-2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Handful fresh basil cut into thin strips
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the flour and cook for about a minute, stirring until smooth.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Stir in the cream, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for 2 minutes. Reduce heat if it’s bubbling too much.
- Add the shrimp and cook for around 5 minutes or until they’re cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, taking care not to overcook them.
- Add the spinach and basil and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately. I like to squeeze extra lemon juice over top when serving (up to you). You could also grate some fresh parmesan over top if you wish.
Notes
- I used sun-dried tomatoes that were packed in oil (I drained the oil). Feel free to use more or less than suggested.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on November 29, 2017. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Such a delicious recipe that even my picky husband really enjoyed! I bought shrimp for a different recipe, but changed my mind and didn’t want to make…which happens all of the time. I had everything on hand and the only changes were putting lots more spinach (frozen, so not sure how much) and 1 Tblsp. lemon juice. The one thing I will balk at is the prep time…5 minutes is hilarious. Sure I am slow, but it took me 15 minutes to peel and clean the shrimp (they were smaller), 3 minutes for the garlic, 3 minutes to strain the spinach, 3 minutes to chop the dried tomato, 1 minute to chop the basil. It’s a stupid pet peeve, but there it is. Regardless, I will definitely add this to my book of keeper recipes and so glad to find this awesome blog!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kristina!! 🙂 I’m glad you found me too. It can be difficult to accurately reflect prep time for sure since everyone does things differently (and part of it is that I always consider that some of the prep can be done as you go along, so I don’t count that as separate prep time. I am not a mise en place kinda cook myself… only for baking). But yeah, I can see that I am probably a bit faster than most, and it can seem a bit off to some readers in certain recipes. It’s interesting though how our ingredients varied so much in this particular recipe haha. To give you an idea of how I came up with the prep time: I use fresh baby spinach, so I literally just grab a handful and it takes me 10 seconds tops (frozen spinach takes me forever too). For the garlic, I use a garlic press, it’s 20 seconds tops. For the shrimp, I usually just let them sit in a colander under running water while doing other stuff, and if I buy the already peeled ones I don’t have to do much else. I don’t bother with de-veining unless they really need it. The sun-dried tomatoes I use are in a jar so it takes like 30 seconds to drain the oil and add them to the pan.
Loved this and so flavorful!! I could drink the sauce 🙂
Quick and easy when you’re short on time!!
Yay so happy you liked the recipe, Courtney! 😀
Flavorful and easy to make. I made this after searching for an alternative to Shrimp Pad Thai. Made as directed and turned out perfectly. I will definitely add this to my repertoire.
I’m so pleased you liked it! 🙂
Made this for the first time..delicious! I made one change…added chicken, sausage, and shrimp together…it was quick, easy and a hit for our family…empty pot says it all! Thank you.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!
Delicious & quick
Wow!
Quick,Fine Restaraunt quality meal. Served over brown rice with grilled red cabbage.
Thanks!!
Wonderful! 🙂
Can I sub half n’ half for the full cream.
I don’t recommend it, but you could try. Sauce will end up thinner and may curdle.
This was so easy to make and very delicious! It will definitely be made again and again!!😊
So glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know! 😀
Very delicious! Definitely will be making again soon. Thank you for sharing your recipes ♡
Awesome!! You’re very welcome!! Happy New Year 🙂
I love these quick, simple recipes for weekday nights. This + a salad = perfect, quick, satisfying meal. Thanks, Natasha!
You’re very welcome!
I’ve made this dish 2x in the last month. So simple, so delicious. We will be feeding 18 for Christmas dinner and I know this will be the star of the show. Which says a lot considering it’s up against Prime Rib and a Vegetable Lasagna. It’s just that good! Thank you for the recipe and Happy Holidays.
I am so happy you enjoyed it!! That’s so great you’re doing this for Xmas dinner! 😀
We all absolutely loved this recipe! I increased the amount of everything to be sure it would feed five, serving over fine pasta, and cooked on medium to medium-low. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad, David! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This was delicious and very easy to make! Even my 2 year old asked for seconds! Will definitely make again 🙂
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂