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Shrimp, pasta, and asparagus in a bowl.
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5 from 2 votes

Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta

Save the dishes and boil your pasta, then use the same pan to continue the rest of the dish. Perfectly cooked pasta with sauteed shrimp, lemon, fresh lemon thyme, and Parmesan cheese.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian Inspired
Servings: 4
Calories: 522kcal
Author: Jacqueline Piper

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta one cup of reserved pasta water
  • 6-8 shrimp per person
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 lb asparagus chopped into 1-inch pieces, see notes
  • Parmesan cheese optional, to taste
  • lemon thyme + flowers for garnish, optional
  • 1 lemon zest and juice

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta in your chosen pot. Drain the pasta when cooked, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Rinse the pasta with cold water so it doesn't stick together or top with a light drizzle of olive oil.
  • Return the pot to the heat and add the oil.
  • Add the asparagus bottoms and cook for a few minutes or until tender-crisp.
  • Add the garlic and asparagus tops and cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Push everything to the side of the pot and add the shrimp, spacing them out. Cook for three minutes. Flip the shrimp and add a lid, then cook for 2 more minutes or until the shrimp is bright pink and cooked through.
  • 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.

Notes

Chop the asparagus into one-inch pieces, keeping the tops separate to be cooked later in the dish.
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 can also boil your pasta separately if you prefer.
Coating the cooked pasta with a little bit of oil helps prevent it from sticking together and there isn't enough oil to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pasta. I prefer this over using water.
Instead of lemon thyme, try regular thyme, rosemary, basil, or oregano.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g