Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta with Lemon - One Pot Recipe | Save the dishes by boiling your pasta, then using the same pan to continue the rest of the recipe. Perfectly cooked pasta with sauteed shrimp, the brightness of lemon and fresh lemon thyme and finished with Parmesan cheese.
Do you love pasta? And asparagus? How do you feel about shrimp? Lemon?
If you like/love all of the above, then this is the dish for you. And when I tell you that you can make it in one pot only and within about half an hour... you'll probably say "What? Shut up!" and I'll say "No, I'm serious."
Or something like that. You might just say to yourself, "Yes I love a quick and easy weeknight meal that's healthy and delicious. "
Me too.
You can use any small pasta shape you prefer. I really liked this with orecchiette (kinda like shells) when I used them during testing.
And if you, like me, have not yet won the title "World's Best Gardener" then your lemon thyme plants might have overgrown a smidge and are now flowering and you should really trim them. And now you will! Because you just learned that thyme flowers are edible. So now's it's gardening and food prep in one when you pick the flowers off.
Or just skip that and use store-bought thyme. Or basil. Or oregano or rosemary. Whatever you have on hand. We're not picky here and the goal is to get dinner on the table - fast and easy. You could probably make this with dried spices too, but I prefer fresh because this is a quick cooking dish. It doesn't sit and simmer.
How to Make Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta with Lemon - An Easy Weeknight One Pot Recipe
Choose your pot carefully - you'll make the entire dish in it, so make sure it's big enough.
Start by adding water to boil the pasta - I never use a huge pot and a whole bunch of water to boil pasta. Cook the pasta to your liking or to package instructions and before you drain it, keep a cup or so of the cooking water aside. Rinse the pasta with cold water so it stops cooking and doesn't stick together while you make the rest of the dish.
Reheat the pot or pan you chose and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped asparagus and heat it for a few minutes to get some color on it and cook it through. Add the garlic and cook for about half a minute or so, while stirring, so you don't burn it. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan and then add the shrimp. Let it cook for 3 minutes or so, then flip it over, add a lid and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked.
Add the pasta, the lemon thyme, lemon zest and juice and the Parmesan cheese. Stir together and cook to heat through, adding the pasta water as needed to thin it out a bit. Serve with extra Parmesan on top if you want and pick over the lemon thyme flowers if you have them. If not, add a bit of fresh thyme if you like. I like adding some red pepper flakes for some spice also.
Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta with Lemon - One Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 450 grams dried pasta (one cup reserved pasta water)
- 6-8 raw shrimp/person
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- Parmesan cheese (to taste)
- lemon thyme + flowers for garnish (flowers optional)
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in your chosen pot. (to keep it a one pot meal, choose a pan or pot that will allow you to finish the entire dish - I use a large cast iron frying pan for this, You could also boil your pasta separately, if you prefer.) Drain the pasta when cooked, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Rinse the pasta with cold water so it doesn't stick together.
- Reheat the pan/pot with the oil. Add the asparagus and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Push everything to the sides and add the shrimp, spacing them out. Cook for three minutes. Flip shrimp and add a lid, then cook for 2 more minutes or until shrimp is bright pink, in a U shape and cooked.
- Add the pasta, lemon zest and lemon juice, lemon thyme, some Parmesan cheese and as much pasta water as you want to make a nice thin sauce.
- Garnish with more fresh Parmesan, more lemon thyme, the thyme flowers if you have them and some red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!