This Italian salsa verde shrimp and rice is ideal if you love shrimp and rice but want something a little more elevated than a basic garlic-butter version. This risotto-like dish with succulent shrimp cooks in one pan and takes about 35 minutes! Oh, and no continuous stirring is required.
For more shrimp recipes, try my shrimp orzo salad and this shrimp pasta with chorizo recipe.
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🔍 Quick Look: Italian Salsa Verde Shrimp and Rice
⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
🍳 Cook Time: 35 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 55 minutes
👥 Servings: 4-6
📊 Calories: ~533 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
🔥 Cook Method: Stove-top based, one pan
👩🍳 Main Ingredients: Shrimp, rice, salsa verde
⭐ Difficulty: Easy, making it great for busy weeknight dinners
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Did You Know?
Italian salsa verde is a bright, herb-based sauce made with parsley, garlic, capers, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and sometimes anchovies. Unlike Mexican salsa verde, it contains no cilantro or tomatillos and is typically served with seafood, meats, and vegetables.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Comes together and cooks quickly: If you purchase shrimp already peeled and deveined, this recipe is relatively quick to prepare and cook.
The best flavors come from the rice: Rice is typically the supporting player in recipes, but it vies to be the star here as it simmers in an intoxicating mix of garlic, shallots, anchovies, and wine.
Risotto-like without the work: Arborio rice creates a creamy texture similar to risotto but without the frequent stirring, making this shrimp and rice dish practical for weeknights.
Risotto is one of my desert-island foods (along with this Italian fried eggplant sandwich), but it's not necessarily something I make on a whim, no matter how strong the craving.
But I'm more than happy to make this salsa verde shrimp and rice as a bona-fide stand-in. It offers a similarly creamy texture to risotto, thanks to the Arborio rice, and contains plump, juicy shrimp.
This recipe is finished with a homemade Italian salsa verde, where its acidity and herby freshness balance the richness of the shrimp and rice. It's not mandatory, but I highly recommend it. It also comes together in minutes, so there's little reason to skip it.
Ingredient-Stretching Tip: Use leftover anchovies from the can to make this broccoli pasta recipe with anchovy breadcrumbs or caramelized shallot pasta.
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Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for full ingredient and quantity information.
- Shallots: They give this dish a unique flavor that onions can't match.
- Anchovies: A few add rich complexity to this dish, as with these anchovy tomatoes. Don't skip them!
- Arborio Rice: With its naturally creamy consistency, this is the key to this recipe's risotto-like texture.
- White Wine: Gives an unmistakable flavor to the dish.
Variations & Substitutions
➢Toss in some spinach for added texture and color.
➢Use vegetable stock or chicken broth/stock instead.
➢Use any white rice you like, but you may need to adjust the cooking time and the amount of liquid. Also, if you use something else, like Jasmine rice, the flavor and texture will change.
➢Omit the shrimp, and serve the rice as a side dish to chicken (like this grilled chicken thighs recipe), steak, or just about any protein.
➢Add a splash of heavy cream and a bit of Parmesan for more richness.
How to Make Italian Salsa Verde Shrimp and Rice
*The recipe was cut in half for the images in this section.
Step 1: Mix all the ingredients for the salsa verde in a bowl.
Step 2: Sauté the shallots and garlic, then add the anchovies and cook them quickly.
Step 3: Add the rice and toast for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine. Simmer it for 2-3 minutes to reduce.
Step 4: After cooking the rice in the broth, nestle the shrimp into the rice. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until pink. Garnish with the salsa verde.
Pro Tips
➢Peel and devein the shrimp beforehand: If you purchase shell-on shrimp, clean them early so you have less to do when preparing dinner.
➢Don't skip any base ingredients: It's a simple recipe, but each ingredient is essential to achieving its savory flavor.
➢Grate the garlic; don't mince it: Grated garlic is more fragrant and helps flavor the rice beautifully.
Italian Salsa Verde Shrimp and Rice FAQs
It's best served fresh, especially to keep the shrimp tender. However, you can reheat it gently, with a splash of broth to remoisten it. You can also make the recipe through Step 6, then refrigerate it before reheating and cooking the shrimp when it's time to eat.
You can, but it's best to add them at the very end just to warm through. Cooking precooked shrimp for too long can make them rubbery.
Not here. The anchovies dissolve in the oil, creating an umami flavor without any strong fishy taste. This popular Alison Roman shallot pasta is a good example of that.
It depends on the method, but they take about 3-4 minutes per side in this recipe because you're nestling them into rice rather than cooking them directly in the pan, which would cook them a bit more quickly.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezer: I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Reheat: Reheat in the oven on low heat until warmed through, or in the microwave.
Related Recipes
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Italian Salsa Verde Shrimp and Rice
Ingredients
For the Italian Salsa Verde
- 1 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley minced finely
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 large garlic clove grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Shrimp and Rice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots peeled and minced
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and grated (Note 1)
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 1 and ¼ cups Arborio rice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided (¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon)
- Ground black pepper
- ½ cup white wine (Note 2)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (Note 3)
- 1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined (Note 4)
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the salsa verde in a bowl and set aside.
- Toss the shrimp with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and some black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and simmer for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
- Drop in the anchovies and cook them for 30 seconds, pressing them into the oil to break them up.
- Add the rice, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Toast the rice for 30 seconds, stirring often.
- Pour the wine into the rice and simmer for 2 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol. Pour in the vegetable broth, raise the heat to bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cover the pan with a lid, and cook the rice until it's just about tender and the broth is absorbed, 15-20 minutes.
- When the rice is about done, nestle the shrimp into it. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until they're pink and begin to curl.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and top the rice with the salsa verde. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don't skimp or omit any of the supporting ingredients (i.e., the shallots, garlic, anchovies, and wine). The rice won't be the same without them!
Nutrition
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The flavors in this rice dish are incredible! The rice alone is so awesome, I couldn't get enough of it. This makes an excellent side or main dish.
What a delicious and flavorful recipe! The garlic, shallots, and anchovies really make this dish, and the juicy shrimp give it that protein boost.