This easy and delicious Shrimp Oreganata recipe is a seafood lover’s dream. It’s a gluten-free version that uses jumbo shrimp and simple ingredients yet has the loveliest and most delectable depth of flavor. Great for any night of the week but elegant enough to serve for special occasions.
Shrimp Oreganata
Let’s face it, when it comes to most Italian recipes, carbs take center stage. From crusty bread to pasta and pizza, it can sometimes seem impossible to satisfy your cravings for Italian food while managing a low carb or gluten-free lifestyle. No worries, this recipe has you covered!
Traditional Shrimp Oreganata, like what you’ll find served at most Italian restaurants, is topped with a breadcrumb mixture. For this gluten-free recipe, we just omit them all together and season the shrimp with Italian flavors then cook it stove top! It is so tasty; you won’t even miss the breadcrumbs!
Instead of pasta, this recipe uses cannellini beans that provide a nice and creamy contrast with the tender and succent shrimp. To balance out all the other flavors, wilted escarole adds the perfect amount of bite that rounds everything off! It is a heartly and hearty meal-in-one the whole family will love.
If you love shrimp recipes as much as we do, this Shrimp Scampi and these Shrimp Bowls are two other really quick and delicious recipes you should check out.
Why We Love this Recipe
- Gluten-free twist on a classic recipe that doesn’t skimp on Italian flavor
- Super easy dinner that’s ready in just 25 minutes, perfect for an easy weeknight meal
- Delicious recipe that uses fresh and healthy ingredients to create a hearty and filling main dish
- It makes the perfect all in one meal but can be served with other low carb sides
Ingredients:
- Canned cannellini beans
- Large cloves garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Smoked paprika
- Dry oregano
- Kosher salt or Sea salt and black pepper
- Large shrimp (or jumbo shrimp)
- Large head escarole
- Fresh lime juice
- Fresh lemon (optional)
- Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
Substitutions and Additions
- Add some spices: Like things with a little kick of heat? Sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Opt for a garnish: If you are serving this for a special occasion, you can dress it up by adding a garnish of some chopped fresh oregano or fresh flat leaf parsley. I even like to garnish it with a few lemon wedges for a pretty presentation.
- Wine option: This recipe does not include wine, but if there is a dry white wine, like pinot grigio, that you have on hand, feel free to use it. You’ll only need about 1/4 cup to give it the flavor you’re looking for.
- Gluten version: This is a such a versatile recipe; you can easily make it the traditional way by adding a light breadcrumb mixture to the top of the shrimp. You can also serve it over angel hair pasta (or your favorite pasta) if you aren’t concerned with gluten sensitivity.
Recommended Tools
- Sharp Knife
- Large Heavy Skillet
- Colander
- Cheese Grater
- Kitchen Tongs or slotted spoon
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How to Make Italian Shrimp Oreganata:
- Prepare the ingredients: Peel and devein the shrimp. Drain and rinse cannellini beans, reserving 1/4 of the liquid. Finely mince the fresh garlic cloves and roughly chop the washed escarole.
- Cook the shrimp: Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp the hot skillet and lightly season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Sauté, stirring continually, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, approximately 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve. Set aside.
- Mix the other ingredients: Add drained cannellini beans and minced cloves of garlic to a medium bowl. Top with one tablespoon olive oil, the smoked paprika, and the dried oregano. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
- Cook remaining ingredients: Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and chopped escarole to the same skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the escarole starts to wilt, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the cannellini bean mixture and the reserved ¼ cup liquid from the beans and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the beans are heated through, and the escarole is thoroughly wilted, approximately 2 minutes.
- To serve: Divide the warm cannellini bean and escarole mixture among individual serving plates and top with the cooked shrimp. You can also serve this dish family style on a large platter. Add grated pecorino cheese or parmesan cheese to the top of the shrimp and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or fresh lime juice if desired. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Size Shrimp are Best for this Recipe?
We used large in this recipe, but extra jumbo or colossal shrimp are great also. If you use shrimp that are larger than jumbo, you’ll want to butterfly them to help them cook evenly and allow the sauce to season them well.
Why is it Called Shrimp Oreganata?
Oreganata basically means cooked with oregano. Seafood oreganata is a classic Italian dish that is usually served on holidays. Shrimp, white fish and clam oreganata are all common forms of this recipes. In Southern Italy, seafood oreganata is found on most any holiday table during the feast of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve.
Can I Freeze Leftovers?
You can freeze cooked shrimp, but you should do so as soon as they cool to room temperature. Use a heavy-duty freezer plastic bag or airtight container to freeze them, label with the date they were cooked. They are best when eaten within a month.
Want More Healthy Recipes
- Quick Pan-Fried Grouper
- Easy Chicken Fajitas
- Skillet Carne Asada
- Maple Balsamic Pork Chops
- Chicken Cashews Wraps
Shrimp Oreganata (with a Gluten Free Option)
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz cannellini beans drained and rinsed, ¼ cup liquid reserved
- 2-3 lg garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- ½ t smoked paprika
- 1 t dried oregano
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1¼ lbs jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lg head of escarole rinsed thoroughly and roughly chopped
- 1½ T fresh lime juice
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Drain and rinse cannellini beans, reserving 1/4 of the liquid. Finely mince the fresh garlic cloves and roughly chop the washed escarole.
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp the hot skillet and lightly season with salt and black pepper, if desired.
- Sauté, stirring continually, until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, approximately 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and keep warm until ready to serve. Set aside.
- Add drained cannellini beans and minced cloves of garlic to a medium bowl. Top with one tablespoon olive oil, the smoked paprika, and the dried oregano. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and chopped escarole to the same skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the escarole starts to wilt, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cannellini bean mixture and the reserved ¼ cup liquid from the beans and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the beans are heated through, and the escarole is thoroughly wilted, approximately 2 minutes.
- Divide the warm cannellini bean and escarole mixture among individual serving plates and top with the cooked shrimp. You can also serve this dish family style on a large platter.
- Add grated pecorino cheese or parmesan cheese to the top of the shrimp and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or fresh lime juice if desired.
