Creamy Tuscan shrimp packed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and garlic, is creamy, rich, and delicious. Seared shrimp swim in a thick and delicious, buttery, creamy sauce. Seafood had never tasted so indulgent. Made in just 15 minutes (including prep!), creamy Tuscan shrimp brings the wow-factor to the table without the time or the energy. Serve this comforting meal with crusty bread for dipping, or over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

Why You’ll Love Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
- Creamy comfort food at it's finest. For some, the star of this creamy Tuscan shrimp recipe is the shrimp. For others, it’s the sauce. Made with butter, flour, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and more, this thick creamy sauce is liquid comfort.
- Packed with protein. Creamy Tuscan garlic shrimp is absolutely delicious, and it’s good for you, too. Shrimp is a healthy protein that’s low in calories and high in nutrients. It’s a good source of iodine, selenium, iron, and B12, which are not commonly found in many other foods.
- Loaded with so much flavour. If you’ve ever dreamed of Italy, you might know that the flavors of Tuscany include sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, basil, and parmesan—and we’ve got all that and more in this creamy Tuscan shrimp recipe.
- It’s surprisingly quick and easy. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make creamy Tuscan garlic shrimp. This one-pan recipe is ready in under 20 minutes. Simply sear the shrimp, cook the sauce, wilt the spinach, and voila! Some other quick shrimp dinners to try are: Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Baked Coconut Shrimp, and Seafood Fried Rice.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make delicious creamy Tuscan shrimp, you will need the following ingredients:
- olive oil - for searing the shrimp.
- shrimp - I used 1 lb. of white shrimp, but you can use any kind shrimp or prawns. You also want to use shrimp that has been peeled and deveined. I kept the tails on but you can also remove the tails if you would like. To prepare the shrimp, cut through the shell along the back with kitchen scissors. Remove the shells (and tails), and rinse to remove the veins. Pat dry each shrimp completely with a paper towel.
- salt and pepper - to season the shrimp.
- butter
- garlic
- sun-dried tomatoes
- all-purpose flour - helps to thicken up the sauce.
- heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese - asiago cheese also works well as a substitute.
- baby spinach
- fresh basil
You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a large skillet (I used a cast-iron skillet).
How to Make the Best Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
- Sear the shrimp. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil is sizzling hot. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes until the shrimp becomes nicely browned on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Sauté aromatics. In the same skillet, add butter, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and mix until well combined.
- Make the creamy sauce. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency. Stir in spinach and cook until softened, about 1 minute.
- Toss with shrimp and serve. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss well to coat. Sprinkle basil on top and serve immediately over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
How to Serve Creamy Garlic Shrimp
There are so many ways that you can serve creamy Tuscan shrimp. They are delicious on their own with a side of crusty bread to dip into and soak up all of that creamy sauce. You can also serve them over a plate of pasta, mashed potatoes, garlic mashed cauliflower, or rice.
To balance the meal, I like to serve this with a fresh salad on the side such as Chopped Asparagus Salad, Lemon Kale Salad, Greek Salad or Mediterranean Chickpea Wedge Salad.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- How to store: You can store creamy Tuscan shrimp with pasta or separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How to reheat: Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until shrimp is warmed through, or in the microwave. The sauce may have thickened up in the refrigerator, so add a little water to thin out the sauce a bit until you achieve a desired consistency. You can also reheat in the microwave. Place leftovers in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a paper towel, plate, or lid. Reheat creamy Tuscan shrimp in the microwave in 15-30 second increments until hot. Only heat as much as you’ll eat.
More Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Baked Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Jumbo Shrimp
- Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema Slaw
- Tiger Prawns in Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce
- Vietnamese Salad Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Grilled Cajun Shrimp Skewers
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Recipe
Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Creamy Tuscan shrimp packed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and garlic, is creamy, rich, and delicious. Make it in just 15 minutes, including prep!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. white shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely sliced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil is sizzling hot. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes until the shrimp becomes nicely browned on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet, add butter, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and mix until well combined.
- Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency.
- Stir in spinach and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss well to coat.
- Sprinkle basil on top and serve immediately over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Notes
How to store: You can store creamy Tuscan shrimp with pasta or separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to reheat: Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until shrimp is warmed through, or in the microwave. The sauce may have thickened up in the refrigerator, so add a little water to thin out the sauce a bit until you achieve a desired consistency. You can also reheat in the microwave. Place leftovers in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a paper towel, plate, or lid. Reheat creamy Tuscan shrimp in the microwave in 15-30 second increments until hot. Only heat as much as you’ll eat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ruth says
This was easy and very tasty! I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes, so I drained a jar of my homemade tomatoes and used 3/4 cup of that instead. Used dried basil instead of fresh basil and put in a Tbsp of flour instead of a tsp.
Lynn says
Just made this for dinner! Super easy and everyone loved it!!
Lynn Anderson says
This is a delicious and easy recipe. Easy to make for 2. I make this for my husband and I a couple of times a month.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Wow so happy to hear you like the recipe! Thank you!
Michelle says
My family loved this recipe and we will deferentially be adding this in our meal rotation.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Michelle! We love it too!
Diana says
What a great dinner idea! I know my family would be happy with this for dinner.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Oh it's a keeper!
Lisalia says
The only thing I love more than shrimp is trying lots of different ways to prepare it. WOWZA that cream sauce is so rich and delicious. Such a great flavor complement to the shrimp. Thanks for this great recipe!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Lisalia! So happy you like this recipe as much as we do.