Italian-Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe
Try this weeknight-friendly Italian-style shrimp and grits for a fun spin on the lowcountry classic! Made with SeaPak's frozen Shrimp Scampi as a shortcut that gets this tasty dinner on the table in less than thirty minutes.
*This post was sponsored by SeaPak. Thanks for supporting the brands I love that make this blog possible!
I mean, will you look at that bowl of goodness? Shrimp, sausage, spinach and red onions in a buttery, garlicky, spicy tomato sauce. Plus, you can make it in less than 30 minutes! I mean, what are you waiting for? Just go on and get the ingredients now because I’m fairly certain it’s what you’ll be craving for dinner tonight!
One essential ingredient for making this Italian-style shrimp and grits recipe - SeaPak’s Shrimp Scampi! As I shared on Instagram a couple weeks ago, this year I’m partnering with SeaPak, America’s #1 retail brand for frozen specialty seafood. I love partnering with brands that make it easy to get a satisfying and nutritious dinner on the table. Wellness culture sets impossible expectations of cooking everything from scratch, but having tasty, convenient frozen foods on hand makes it easier and more accessible to enjoy a homemade dinner. In this recipe, their frozen shrimp scampi gets added to a quick sauté of spicy Italian sausage, red onions, cherry tomatoes, and thickened tomato sauce. It melds together to create a richly flavored, buttery tomato sauce that tastes like it’s been simmering all day!
Italian-style Shrimp and Grits Inspiration
This Italian-style shrimp and grits recipe was inspired by classic shrimp and grits, a iconic dish here in South Carolina that originally comes from the Gullah Geechee culture in the lowcountry. Traditionally it was eaten for breakfast as a simple mixture of hominy grits cooked with creek shrimp.
Although around here, shrimp and grits is pretty ubiquitous to upscale southern dining, it actually wasn’t until the 1980s when a chef named Bill Neal created shrimp and grits as we usually see it today. Here in Columbia, most restaurants serve shrimp and grits either with a creamy sausage or ham gravy, or a spicy tomato sauce, often with bacon and vegetables. I am very partial to tomato-based shrimp and grits, which is how I make shrimp and grits at home. It always reminds me a little bit of the Italian dish shrimp fra diavolo, which inspired me to come up with this Italian version of shrimp and grits.
Cooking with Frozen Seafood
Seafood is on regular rotation in our house – it’s a tasty protein source, and packed with nutrients like B-vitamins, zinc, iodine and omega-3 fats. But let’s be real – fresh seafood isn’t always the most convenient. Because it doesn’t last long in the fridge, when I have fresh seafood I always feel like I’m stuck to a certain meal plan because I know it’ll go bad if I don’t eat it that night.
That’s why I love to have frozen seafood as another option for working it in. SeaPak’s Shrimp Scampi that I use in this recipe is an awesome option, with plump shrimp frozen in a buttery seasoned scampi sauce. Not only is it delicious in this Italian-style shrimp and grits recipe, but it’s also an easy addition to make a simple weeknight pasta dish.
Italian-Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe Notes
Feel free to serve this Italian-style shrimp and grits recipe over either grits or polenta. Both are ground corn! Italian polenta is made with ground yellow corn, while southern grits are usually made with white corn, also called hominy. In this recipe, I include instructions for using a tube of precooked polenta as “grits”, which makes this recipe weeknight friendly. While stone ground grits (or stone ground polenta!) is really delicious, it does take time to prepare. If you do want to serve this over stone-ground grits, try my goat cheese grits recipe!
I like to make this with spicy Italian sausage to add another layer of heat, but you could also use other flavored sausages, like roasted garlic or sun-dried tomato, or use sweet Italian sausage if you prefer a more mild dish.
For serving, I would pair this with a simple side salad of dressed greens, and toasted ciabatta to sop up all the yummy, buttery sauce.
If you like this Italian-style shrimp and grits recipe, follow my seafood recipes Pinterest board for more inspiration.
Italian-Style Shrimp and Grits Recipe
Serves 3
Ingredients:
Shrimp:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces spicy Italian chicken sausage, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds
½ large red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ cup canned tomato sauce
¾ cup cherry tomatoes
1 package SeaPak Shrimp Scampi
2 cups baby spinach
“Grits”:
1 18-ounce tube prepared polenta, sliced
½ cup whole milk
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside until ready to use.
Add red onions to the skillet along with a pinch of salt. There should be some leftover oil in the skillet, but if not, add another drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil first. Saute the onion until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more. Stir in tomato sauce, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Stir in frozen shrimp scampi and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute more until wilted.
While the tomato-shrimp sauce is cooking, warm polenta, milk and broth in a pot on medium heat, breaking apart the polenta slices with a wooden spoon until fully combined and smooth.
Spoon grits into a bowl, making a well in the middle. Top with shrimp and sausage mixture and serve.
If you like this Italian-style shrimp and grits recipe, you might also like:
Goat Cheese Polenta with Mushroom and Chickpea Ragu
Cheese Grits Stuffed Poblanos with Tomato Gravy
Southern Goat Cheese Grits Vegetable Bowl
