Garlicky Shrimp and White Bean Toasts with Arugula

Ingredients

Shrimp and Sauce

• 340 g raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozenBuy peeled and deveined to save time; pat very dry with paper towels so they sear instead of steam.
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 clove garlic, thinly slicedSlices, not minced — they flavor the oil without burning as fast.
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 200 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsedOne standard 15-oz can, drained.
• 1 lemon, juicedYou'll want about 2 tbsp of juice.
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cup baby arugula

Pantry

• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

To Serve

• 4 crusty bread, such as a baguette or sourdough loafThick slices, toasted — this is your base, so pick something sturdy.

Steps

1. Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels and season both sides with half the salt and all the pepper. Slice the garlic, halve the cherry tomatoes, juice the lemon, and drain the beans. Toast the bread in a toaster or under the broiler and set aside on two plates.5 minDry shrimp are the whole game here — wet shrimp steam and turn rubbery instead of searing.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic slices and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring once, until the garlic is pale gold at the edges, about 90 seconds — pull it early, because burnt garlic turns bitter. Add the shrimp in a single layer and leave them alone for 2 minutes until the undersides turn pink and opaque.4 minIf the shrimp don't fit in one layer, cook in two batches. Crowding steams them.
3. Flip each shrimp and cook 1 minute more, then transfer them to a clean plate with tongs. They should be just cooked through — pink and opaque, curled into a loose C shape.2 minShrimp keep cooking off the heat, so slightly underdone in the pan is perfect.
4. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the same skillet. Add the tomatoes and cook 2 minutes, pressing a few of them with your spoon so they burst and make a quick sauce. Stir in the beans and cook 2 minutes, until warmed through and glossy.4 minThe beans thicken the sauce naturally — no cream needed.
5. Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, butter, and the remaining salt, swirling until the butter melts into a silky sauce. Return the shrimp and any juices from the plate, then fold in the arugula so it just wilts.2 minOff the heat is important — butter sauces can break over high flame.
6. Spoon the shrimp and beans over the toasted bread, making sure every plate gets the pan sauce. Taste and add a squeeze more lemon if you like it brighter.1 minEat right away while the toast still has crunch.