Garlicky Shrimp & Cannellini Beans

Seven ingredients, one pot, thirty minutes. This is the kind of simple Italian cooking where every ingredient has to pull its weight, and here they all do.

Cannellini beans simmer with minced garlic in extra-virgin olive oil for ten minutes, long enough for the beans to start breaking down at the edges and thickening the broth. Add a splash of water or chicken stock to loosen it up. You want the consistency somewhere between a soup and a stew, soupy enough to soak up with bread.

The shrimp go in cut into ½-inch pieces so they cook through in about five minutes and distribute evenly through the beans. Fresh parsley and crushed red pepper flakes finish the bowl with brightness and gentle heat.

The quality of the olive oil matters here since there’s so little else going on. Use something you’d drizzle on bread.

Pro Tips

• Mash a few of the beans against the side of the pot while they simmer to create a naturally creamy broth
• Don’t skip the 10-minute garlic-bean simmer. It infuses the oil and builds a flavor base that a quick sauté can’t match
• Add the shrimp in a single layer and cover the pot. The steam cooks them evenly without stirring
• Serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread for sopping up the garlicky broth

Variations

• Use fresh basil instead of parsley for a sweeter herbal note
• Toss in a handful of cherry tomatoes with the shrimp for color and acidity
• Swap shrimp for chunks of firm white fish like cod or halibut