Shrimp and White Beans With Fennel and Pancetta

Name: Shrimp and White Beans With Fennel and Pancetta
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional); 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced; 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced; 1 small or medium fennel bulb (about 6 ounces), tough outer leaves and stems discarded and thinly sliced crosswise, plus 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fronds; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons fennel seeds; 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional); Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, tomatoes crushed by hand; 1 pound jumbo shrimp, preferably wild, peeled and deveined; 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, such as butter beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley, basil, mint or a combination (optional)

By Colu Henry

Total Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 4(1,236)
Comments: Read comments

This quick, one-pan meal relies heavily on pantry staples. Browning pancetta or bacon adds richness to the tomato sauce, but skip it if you like. Anise-flavored fennel and seeds are incorporated into the soffrito, which plays nicely with the sweetness of the shrimp and the creaminess of the beans. But if you don’t like them, leave them out. Serve the dish in deep bowls with thick slices of garlic-rubbed toast, finish the dish with a flurry of fresh herbs, and pair it with a glass of something red, light and bright.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

2tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
4ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
1small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1small or medium fennel bulb (about 6 ounces), tough outer leaves and stems discarded and thinly sliced crosswise, plus 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fronds
2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2teaspoons fennel seeds
½teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1(28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, tomatoes crushed by hand
1pound jumbo shrimp, preferably wild, peeled and deveined
1(15-ounce) can white beans, such as butter beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½cup roughly chopped fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley, basil, mint or a combination (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 2
Add the onion and sliced fennel to the skillet and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook until the garlic begins to soften and the fennel seeds become aromatic, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and their juices. Fill the tomato can halfway with water, swish it around and add that, too.
Step 3
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook on medium-low, allowing the flavors to come together, about 15 minutes.
Step 4
Turn heat back to medium, stir in the shrimp and cook until just pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans and the cooked pancetta and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Step 5
Divide among bowls, top with the herbs and drizzle with a bit more olive oil, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,236 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Rose Thomas6 years ago

The spices were amazingly delicious, but I wish I hadn't followed the step to add half a can of water, as it turned out way soupier than I thought it would. As written, it's more like a sauce. I served it over freekeh and it was a hit.

Bridget6 years ago

Wonderful! Per other notes, I skipped the half can of water and instead deglazed the pan with a 1/4 c of white wine after cooking down the garlic, fennel seeds, and crushed red peppers. I served it with pasta, so added 1/2 c of pasta water to the tomatoes after they’d cooked down a bit. Wonderful flavors. Add extra salt, garlic, crushed red pepper.

Mary Beth6 years ago

Feta, yes! I have a recipe very similar to this (without the fennel) and it calls for feta to be added at the end, letting it melt just a little. Serve over rice. Wonderful!

Pete1 month ago

Great recipe. I used Espelette pepper rather than red pepper flakes, and deglazed the pan with a glass of dry white wine- and it worked well. Next time I might try a variation, and use Italian sausage rather than shrimp, and see how that turns out. I imagine a handful or two of spinach added near the end wouldn't go amiss either.

sheilsclon3 months ago

Following comments I added 2 ribs of celery and omitted water. Delicious.

Stella3 months ago

Delicious and very easy. I added more onions and fennel and also did not add the extra water.

Private comments are only visible to you.