Italian Stir Fry with shrimp strays a bit from the usual Asian variety. Instead of soy sauce and ginger, think garlic, lemon, and oregano. We substitute linguine for the rice and add the pasta directly into the Italian stir fry. This is a quick one pan meal that takes less than 15 minutes to cook and only 30 minutes to prepare. And for those of you who are sticklers for accuracy, we know we use two pans, one for the pasta and one for the stir fry. You may use the same pot you used for the pasta. Whichever way you do it, we're sure Italian Style Shrimp Stir Fry will become a family favorite!
For this recipe you will need: linguine, shrimp, olive oil, butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, arugula, baby Bella mushrooms, diced tomatoes, parmesan cheese, Italian parsley, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper.
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Wild caught shrimp vs. farm-raised for the stir fry
As we mentioned in the Salmon with Pesto post, wild-caught is the best and it's the same with shrimp. We know cost is a factor; it's the same with us. But when you put the pros and cons side by side, wild-caught wins.
The main problems that shrimp farms post are environmental, community, and health. Let's take them one by one.
- Environmental: Shrimp farms threaten mangrove forests, coastal wetlands that provide vital habitat for natural fisheries and protect coastlines from damage to storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Farmed shrimp is unsustainable. After a few years, disease and pollution deplete the ponds. Farmers search for other areas and so they perpetuate the environmental destruction.
- Community: Shrimp farms takes a toll on the people of coastal communities. Fishing villages who rely on mangroves for food and resources remain poor and without alternatives. The farms also block access to coastal resources which limit access to fishing sites, building materials, food, and medicines.
- Health: Most shrimp farms are so crowded that producers must use high levels of pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals (many of them banned in the United States) in order to prevent disease. Here I'm speaking of imported shrimp.
Wild caught shrimp is seasonal
Just like the best fruit and vegetables are the ones that are in season, so are the wild-caught shrimp. Wild-caught shrimp is sweet, succulent, with a nice firm texture.
You can rest assured that there are no added antibiotics or growth hormones.
Shrimpers have to follow stringent regulations and shrimp season is marked and anyone disobeying is heavily fined. By purchasing wild-caught shrimp you are supporting the local economy of the shrimpers, fisheries, as well as the broader U. S. shrimp industry.
Wild caught for shrimp stir fry
Once you take your wild caught shrimp home, you'll need to peel them and set them in the fridge as you prepare your other ingredients ready.
The next steps go quickly.
- Clean and slice the baby Bella mushrooms.
- Measure out the already washed arugula.
- Open can diced tomatoes.
- Dice the fresh Italian parsley, peel and mince the garlic cloves, squeeze ½ lemon into a small measuring cup.
- Measure and place in prep dishes the Parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, dried oregano.
- Set out the olive oil and butter
- Get ½ of a 1 pound package of linguine.
- Fill a large pot with water for the pasta
Enjoy your Italian stir fry
Everything is done at the last minute so be sure your table is set and your family is ready. All you have to do is call them to dinner.
Be prepared to get lots of "YUMS" when you serve this outstanding one pot meal. And the bonus? You don't have lots of pots and pans to clean up.
You can easily double this recipe depending on how many you want to feed.
And another Asian inspired recipe I'm sure you'll enjoy is our Classic Chop Suey or you may also like the Chicken Chop Suey version.
Tutti a tavola è pronto.
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
Other one-pan meals you may enjoy
Italian Sausage Pasta A Zesty 20-Minute One-Pot Meal
Chop Suey| Classic Chinese-American Recipe Like Mom Made
One-Pan Italian Garlic Lemon Chicken Chicken Bake - A Complete Meal
You can't go wrong with any of these dishes. They are tasty, easy, and you can't beat one pan for clean up.
YOU MAY NEED...
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What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had.
This Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron braiser pan was a Christmas gift from our oldest son. At the time we didn't realize how much we'd use it. It is enameled cast iron and it goes from stove top to the oven. It is wonderful to make one-pan meals and we use it at least once a week.
Italian Stir Fry - an appetizing one pan meal
Stir fries are absolutely wonderful ways to get loads of veggies and protein into one delicious dish. We decided to shake things up a bit when we went for Italian flavors rather than Asian. Add any Italian vegetable you love. Go for zucchini or baby spinach and even fennel. Include your family's favorite pasta. We used what we had and so can you. I can guarantee your family will love this recipe!
A stir fry is one of our favorite ways to get dinner on the table fast, that's why the Teriyaki Noodles recipe is another dish that often pops up on our menu rotation.
If you like this recipe, please consider giving it a 5-star rating. This helps others to decide whether to try the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Italian Stir Fry With Shrimp-Appetizing One Pan Meal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine or your pasta of choice fresh or dry pasta
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like it spicier
- 1 pound peeled uncooked wild-caught shrimp
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 package arugula about 4 cups
- 1 package 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 1 can 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh diced Italian parsley
- ½ lemon squeezed for lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot bring water to a boil, salt the water, add the pasta. Cook according to directions until al dente. ( we used our frozen homemade pasta for this dish.
- Drain the pasta and set aside.
- You can use the same pot for the rest of the dish but we used a large pan. On medium high heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Toss in shrimp, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until shrimp start to turn pink. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Shrimp cooks fast and you don't want to overcook it.
- Add oregano and the fresh sliced mushrooms. Continue to stir until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. Add the canned tomatoes with juice and let simmer for 5 minutes more.
- Return cooked pasta to the pot, add the arugula and continue to mix. Once the arugula starts to wilt add the shrimp, remaining butter, parmesan, and parsley. Stir until well mixed and the butter is melted.
- Add lemon juice and mix again. Serve while hot! Buon appetito!
Notes
Nutrition
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Ciao Chow Linda
I couldn’t agree more on your take of farm raised vs. wild caught. You never know about the quality of the farm where the shrimp are raised. This Italian spin on the recipe is right up my alley.
Amy
I love the Italian flair on this stir fry! I can’t wait to give this a try it is such an elegant dish!
Leslie
I LOVE the idea of an Italian stir fry! I'm totally on a pasta and shrimp kick right now too, so I'm loving this.
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
What a fantastic spin on an Asian stir fry! You can't go wrong with the Italian flair in our books 😉 . So with you on buying wild-caught shrimp!
lauren
Yum!!! Such a great dish this time of year for a quick, lightened up yet comforting meal. I love the simple yet flavorful ingredients.
Tatiana
Perfectly balanced flavors in this dish. I like shrimp in general, and would like to try to make a stir fry with it!
Chef Markus Mueller
Looks delicious! I think I still have some shrimp in the freezer I can pull out to make this for supper!
Dana
I love trying new one pan meals and this one is a must try for me. It looks so tasty!
Aleta
Yes please! This recipe looks absolutely delicious. I'm glad you went over the pros of buying wild caught shrimp. When you put it that way, wild caught always wins! My husband looooves seafood and I'm always looking for new interesting dishes to make for him. He is going to love this. Thanks for sharing!
Elaine Benoit
I definitely think there is a difference between fresh caught and farm raised! Your shrimp stir fry looks so delicious and I love that it's a one-pan meal!!
Gloria
Yup gotta love those one pan dinner options. Especially this time of year. My lists are long, and the days fly by. I barely have time to eat dinner, never mind make it. At least with this...I would double it and have a meal for yet another busy day. You can never go wrong with pasta, shrimp and wine!!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
I think you idea of an Italian stir fry is a good one and your dish looks good. I like the addition of arugula in the stir fry.
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Karen! It is very good and we love adding greens to our dishes.
Whitney Bond
I want to take a big fork and dig into the pot! It looks so good!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Whitney! It was really good! Making another pan this week.
Kitty
I know very little about fresh-caught shrimp. Thanks for the info!
Marisa Franca
You're welcome, Kitty! If you had a chance to sample the two side by side you'd be able to taste the difference.
Leo Tat
Your shrimp stir fry looks nutritious, Marisa. I like it that is seems like a mix of Italian and Chinese. Can imagine enjoying it with a glass of white wine.
Marisa Franca
How did you guess, Leo? We did enjoy it with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. 🙂
Molly Kumar
I think I'm gonna self-invite myself to your place as your food is so tempting!! I love Italian food and shrimp pasta is my favorite. And when you talk one-pan - stir-fry, this dish has my name written all over it 🙂
Marisa Franca
Molly, you are always welcome at our house! And we'd love to have you share whatever we're having. The more the merrier!!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery
Such a creative idea! You're right - I do always think of Asian flavors for a stir fry, but the Italian version sounds so delicious.
Marisa Franca
Hello, Julie! I hope you try the Italian version -- if you do, let me know how you like it.
Ciao Chow Linda
I've changed my buying habits in the last few years and will buy only wild caught Gulf shrimp. Thanks for informing your readers, and for a delicious recipe.
Marisa Franca
We know what you mean about changing buying habits, Linda. Convincing Hubby that wild-caught really was better for us and the environment took a little while. Once he realized the difference he won't go back to the farm raised. Oh! and Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you and your hubby have a nice evening together.
Natalie | Natalie's Food & Health
Garlic, lemon, and oregano sounds perfect in this stir fry. I think I could pursue even my husband who's not a big fan of seafood to try this. Looks delicious!
Marisa Franca
Hello, Sandhya! Love meals that are easy to prepare, tasty to eat, and quick to clean up! 🙂
Marisa Franca
Hi, Natalie! Here's hoping that you can persuade hubby to take a taste!;-)
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
That is a great seafood meal and you have the perfect balance of flavors in there. One pot meals are the best! The flavors just marry so much better and clean up is a breeze.
Christine
I agree that wild-caught shrimps are better than most that come from shrimp farms. But there are also shrimp farms that follow sound environmental practices. I guess the trick there is to get to know your local farmers so you know where your food comes from and how they were raised and/or harvested.
This looks like really yummy pasta though. I love pasta recipes. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Marisa Franca
Hi, Christine! I guess we have to do our homework when it comes to meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. 🙁 But in order to get the best, I guess we have to. Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day! After all, he was Italian. 😉
Christine
Yes, he was. And belated Happy Valentine's to you, too! ^_^
I agree, we really should be vigilant when it comes to food ingredients, especially seafood... when their freshness matters a whole lot. And I love seafood! In fact, I also found two other yummy seafood recipes, and I absolutely can't get enough of them.
http://blog.nonnabox.com/spaghetti-marinara-recipe/
http://www.freckleditalian.com/blog/recipe-crab-louie-salad
If only I could always find the time to buy fresh seafood and cook them, I would do it every day. 😀
Marisa Franca
Hi, Christine! There are so many recipes out there that I want to try, too. It's not even that I want to eat all of them. Just a matter of tasting and then making some more. 🙂
Adriana Lopez Martn
I enjoy shrimps a lot I actually buy local Florida shrimp when in season nothing like wild caught seafood and fish. Drooling over this amazing pasta!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Adriana! We are in Florida now too and we do look for local. Hope you try the recipe.
Hanady | Recipe Nomad
I love all of the flavors and colors yove developed here! Unfortunately for us my littlest one is allergic to shrimp- but I'm thinking next date night when the kids are away this will be perfect for a romantic dinner!
Marisa Franca
Hello, Hanady! I understand about the allergy. My oldest son is now allergic to shellfish. When he was little he would gobble them up. Perhaps too little and too much? I would certainly monitor the amount given now.
GiGi Eats
Looks so stinkin' delicious! Those shrimp... Mmmmm!
Marisa Franca
Ciao, Gigi! We do love our shrimp. Hope you give the recipe a try.
Noel Lizotte
What a pretty dish! Such appealing colors. I like the Italian spin on the stir fry. Especially since the whole meal is made in one pan. Nothing beats quick clean up!
Marisa Franca
You are so right, Noel! I love cooking but I don't want to spend hours cleaning up. 🙁
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I refuse to buy anything but non-imported shrimp! And wild caught is even better. After all the stuff in the news last year about the shrimp slave workers, I just couldn't buy imported anymore! But with the right shrimp, this looks AMAZING!
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Sarah! We did hear lots of stories about the workers -- fishing is a tough job.
Megan Marlowe
I've been craving shrimp so much lately so this recipe is just perfect for the stock I've got going on in my freezer. I love all of the Italian flavors. I'm a huge mushroom fan, but the family is not, so I would leave them out and make myself some on the side to add in because I think they sound wonderful in here!
Marisa Franca
Hello, Megan. The flavors are really great and what a great idea for you to add the mushrooms separately. That certainly would work. Happy Valentine's Day!.
Veena Azmanov
Merisa I love the pictures!! I am a huge fan of shrimps but we get only frozen here so will have to make do with that. I like how you have found a delicate balance of flavors and finished it so nicely with the lemon. I can almost sense those coming together so nicely.
Pam Wattenbarger
We live in Georgia, so wild-caught shrimp from the coast are a real treat. They would be perfect in this Italian style stir fry with shrimp.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Pam! Hubby and I are very partial to Georgia. 🙂 We spend several months on Saint Simons Island and they do get wild-caught shrimp.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
This really looks like a dish I saw when I visited Rome years ago. They seem to make a lot of one-pot meals over there.
Marisa Franca
It seems like Italians like to conserve energy and pots and pans. 🙂
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
I'm loving the flavor combinations you have going on here. And the dish is so pretty and colorful. I don't eat shrimp but I think this would be just as tasty without it. Love that it's a quick tasty sounding meal 🙂
Marisa Franca
Hi, Stephanie! I believe you could sub any meat for the shrimp, although we are very partial to shrimp. Chicken would be good.
Sara @ Modern Little Victories
This looks so light and fresh! Sometimes pasta dishes can feel a little heavy but I doubt that's the case with this one with all those fresh veggies and flavors!
Marisa Franca
Hi, Sara! I should have added that if there are some people who can't take regular pasta, they could sub the gluten-free.
Angie @ Postcards from the Ridge
This looks incredible, Marisa! I might have to make this for Valentine's day or my husband's birthday which is the day after. Yum!
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Angie! My hubby is asking for it again. He loves shrimp AND pasta. 🙂
Byron Thomas
Marisa, that dish looks phenomenally delicious! I'm not a lover or shrimp, but they look so tasty in this dish. And, just like with any great seafood, you made sure the flavours were just right with the heat and the fresh lemon. Perfection!
Marisa Franca
Byron, thank you for your nice comment. Not everyone loves shrimp or seafood, perhaps you could sub chicken in instead? We were just wanting a variation for our usual stir fry.
Laura
It's great to see a recipe that gives a little advice on buying sustainable and environmentally friendly ingredients, it's really helpful!
And I love the idea of giving stir fry an Italian twist!
Marisa Franca
Hello, Laura! I'm glad you found the post informative. Honey and I sure have changed with the seafood we purchase. Hope you try the stir fry.
Mark, CompassandFork
I'm with you on the farm-raised shrimp (and fish) versus wild shrimp (and fish). The taste is definitely superior and I don't always trust what they feed the shrimp. Maybe I'm a bit cynical. Love the dish by the way, full of inviting color.
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Mark! You're right about what they feed the farm-raised fish. We've stopped all farm-raised seafood, and we've also been quite careful about where the wild-caught comes from, so I'm with you in your cynicism.
Susie
Looks delicious! Can't wait to try this recipe......My kind of meal? Healthy, easy and delicious all in one pan meal?
Thanks, Marisa
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Susie! As busy as you are this would be great during the week. Happy Valentine's Day to you and the family. Love and hugs!
Elizabeth | Ellie & Elizabeth
You had me at butter and garlic! YUM!!! Annnd of course, pasta, lol. I'm sure this would fit somewhere on a diet, right?? Italian food all the way! Love.
Marisa Franca
This is fantastic diet food!! You have tomatoes, arugula, garlic, butter and olive oil (fats are very important for our health), shrimp for protein, and then pasta for ultimate satisfaction. Yep!! It says diet all the way, Elizabeth. I know Ellie would agree with the logic. 🙂 Happy Valentine's Day!!
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen
This contains some of my husband's favorite things, particularly the shrimp and linguine. I bet he'd really enjoy this.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Val! The ingredients taken individually are all our favorites. Combined? Holy Moly! It is so good.
Jovina Coughlin
I like your version: shrimp, pasta and Italian seasoning - nothing better. Has to be Gulf shrimp! I feel lucky to live here where we can get fresh caught fish daily. Amazing dish you created.
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Jovina! You are so right! Gulf shrimp is the best! We look forward to buying it whenever we can get it. Unfortunately, the red tide is still a bother here in Venice. 🙁 Fishing is terrible. We're hoping it will improve. Do you get any of the red tide effects?
Jovina Coughlin
No maybe because we are so far north. Only happens once in awhile in August or September. Sorry fishing is not so good. I know you and your husband look forward to catching some good fish.