Shrimp and White Beans With Fennel and Pancetta

By Colu Henry

Updated January 22, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(1,333)
Comments
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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 soffritto, 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.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 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

  • ½ 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

  • ½ cup roughly chopped fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley, basil, mint or a combination (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

36 grams carbs; 201 milligrams cholesterol; 455 calories; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 12 grams fiber; 1230 milligrams sodium; 37 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Step 3

    Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook on medium-low, allowing the flavors to come together, about 15 minutes.

  4. 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.

  5. Step 5

    Divide among bowls, top with the herbs and drizzle with a bit more olive oil, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,333 user ratings
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Comments

Rose Thomas

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.

Bridget

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 Beth

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!

Jamie

Why not just use crushed tomatoes?

dimmerswitch

@Jamie - You ask why not just used crushed tomatoes in this. Professional cooks and recipe developers believe you will get a better quality of tomato and texture using whole ones that are hand crushed. It is almost always my choice.

Venessa

Has anyone made this with fish rather than shrimp? I have a shellfish allergy, but am thinking that sole or tilapia might be great as a substitute.

Maureen Kerber

I don’t eat meat. Would it taste ok without the bacon?

dimmerswitch

Maureen Kerber - You ask if this will taste okay without the pancetta. To quote Tony Soprano, "AbSOlutely!" :-)

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