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Community Corner

Shrimp Provencal

A quick and tasty dish featuring shrimp that tastes as fancy as it sounds, but is easy to put together.

Don’t worry, this dish only sounds fancy. It’s quick and tasty, making it a perfect choice for a weeknight meal. Provencal refers to Provence, the southeastern region of France that sits along the Mediterranean coast.

Its close proximity to Italy is the reason food from this area features so many ingredients typically found in our favorite Italian dishes. Provencal dishes are often a stark contrast to traditional French fare.

Instead of butter and cream, in Provence you’ll find olive oil. The warm coastal climate offers a bounty of fresh vegetables and an abundance of seafood.

I keep a bag of peeled, deveined shrimp in the freezer for nights when I need to get dinner on the table in a hurry—shrimp thaws and cooks quickly. You can substitute scallops, fish or even diced chicken for the shrimp in this recipe.

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Fresh tomatoes, herbs and wine create a light, flavorful tomato sauce. You can spice it up by tossing crushed red pepper flakes in with the onions and garlic as you’re making the sauce.

Here's what you'll need:

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  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ½ cups diced tomatoes (about 4 plum tomatoes)
  • 6 basil leaves, chopped
  • ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ½ cup white wine
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ pound spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Here's how to make it:

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
  2. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes and basil and cook until the tomatoes soften, 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Season the sauce to taste and pour it into a bowl. 
  5. Return the sauté pan to medium-heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
  6. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add it to the hot pan.
  7. Cook the shrimp until it’s pink on all sides, about 3 minutes.
  8. Add the white wine and cook until only about 2 tablespoons of the wine remains.
  9. Add the tomato sauce back to the pan and cook just until the sauce is heated through.
  10. Place the pasta in a large bowl and top with the shrimp and sauce.
  11. Toss until the noodles are evenly coated and serve.
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