Featuring Lidia Bastianich’s Italian American Shrimp. A savory and simple dinner the whole family will love. It is a wonderful Fall or winter weeknight – ready in about 30 minutes. Shrimp with tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper and lots of basil make this one pot wonder a must try. Of course, you can’t go wrong with Lidia!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Garlic – Because we can’t live without it.
- Celery and Carrots – Cut into thin strips.
- Whole Plum Tomatoes – Crushed by hand or mashed with a potato masher. For what kind of tomatoes to use, see note below.
- Dried Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes
- Scallions – aka green onions
- Cremini Mushrooms – You can substitute baby portobello mushrooms
- Zucchini and Red Bell Pepper – Cut into thin strips. You can substitute the red bell pepper with green, yellow or orange.
- Shrimp – Medium sized shrimp, peeled and de-veined. Tails on or off – your choice.
- Basil – You really want fresh basil for this recipe, if possible.
Note: Lidia recommends and uses Cento whole tomatoes for this recipe. Actually it is her go to for all of her Italian dishes that call for whole tomatoes. While Cento tomatoes are delicious and readily available in my neck of the woods, my go to whole peeled plum tomatoes are Bianco DiNapoli Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes. The New York Times agrees. They rated Bianco di Napoli NYT Best Canned Tomato 2020. Give them a try. I promise, they will not disappoint.
Now grab your favorite tomatoes and let’s get cooking! Just look at all of that tomato-y goodness…
Preparation
- Start by slicing your garlic and shopping the vegetables.
- Then heat the extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep pot or pan. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the celery and carrot and saute for about 5 minutes.
- Next add the tomatoes, hot water, oregano and red pepper flakes. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Add the scallions, mushrooms, zucchini, salt and pepper. Simmer another 10 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and cook about 3-4 minutes until the shrimp is cooked and pink.
- Stir in the fresh basil and serve.
What to Serve with Italian American Shrimp
This dish can stand alone or you can serve over rice, quinoa, polenta or pasta. Or serve with a simple side salad.
Equipment
Dutch Oven/Le Creuset
PrintItalian American Shrimp
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This savory Italian American Shrimp with mushrooms, zucchini and shrimp in a tomato sauce is a one pot wonder, ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, cut into thin strips
- 1 large carrot, cut into thin strips
- 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
- 8 large cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into thin strips
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, shredded
Instructions
1. Heat a large Dutch oven (or deep pot or pan) over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the celery and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring until softened. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup hot water. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes. Simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the scallions, mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper and salt. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the shrimp and simmer until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the basil and serve. Garnish with basil leaves (optional)
Equipment
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Shrimp, Seafood
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