Okay let's be real, I've been over summer for a while. The whole covid thing kind of made it null and void anyway so shall we move on? To AUTUMN? No? Fiiiiiine not yet. It's still August after all. I shall continue with the appropriately seasonal foods for a little bit longer. Introducing the light, flavorful, done in less than 45 minutes (because who really want's to cook in a hot kitchen right now) healthy Italian shrimp and rice casserole!
This recipe is actually adapted from one of my go to healthy cookbooks: Good Housekeeping 400 Calorie Meals. This is not an ad, paid partnership, or anything like that, I just love that book for simple, light, weeknight dishes. I do however, find many of the recipes to be somewhat lacking in the flavor department so I tend to jazz them up a smidge. Ergo, healthy Italian shrimp and rice casserole.
This particular dish jumped out at me because only the tomato sauce is cooked in a skillet. The rice isn't precooked! Dump the rice in your favorite baking dish, top it with shrimp, and cover it in a tomato based, Italian herbed up sauce.
My additions?
First, a whole cup of fresh cherry tomatoes for a summer flair. Second, SO many more fresh herbs. Third, a little lemon zest and lemon juice.
Fourth, a pinch of Italian seasoning to the rice itself for extra yums. Fifth, a change (or two) to the sauce making directions for better flavor. Finally, a bit longer on the cooking time once in the oven to ensure soft, fluffy rice.
That's it! Scroll down for the healthy Italian shrimp and rice casserole recipe and enjoy 😊.

Healthy Italian Shrimp and Rice Casserole
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Flavorful, Italian inspired shrimp and rice bake that's dairy free and done in less than 45 minutes! (Adapted from Good Housekeeping)
Ingredients
- 1 lb 16/20 shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small, sweet Italian red onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly minced
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a 9X13 casserole dish. Add rice and half of the Italian seasoning to the dish, stirring to combine. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in onion and cook 3-4 minutes, until somewhat softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in ¼ cup of the white wine and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet.
- Stir in the drained tomatoes, half of the cherry tomatoes, other half of the Italian seasoning, half of the fresh herbs, and the remaining wine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in remaining fresh herbs, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Remove from heat.
- Place the shrimp on top of the rice in the casserole dish. Pour the tomato mixture over the shrimp in an even layer.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until rice is cooked through and shrimp is opaque. Top with remaining tomatoes and garnish with fresh herbs as desired. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Barna Solomon says
Please tell me what to do with the other half of the cherry tomatoes. I only see half in step 5. Sounds like a great recipe!
Aberdeen says
Hello! Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I've updated the recipe, you top the finished casserole with them in step 8.