20 Minute Shrimp & Asparagus Pasta
There is still a lot of spring asparagus to be gobbled up and this is a quick and delicious way to use them. When you mix it with a light shrimp sauce highlighted by your favorite white wine, this will be a dish you’ll make again and again.
During the pandemic, I’ve been really trying to eat food out of the pantry and freezer to minimize going to the market. I had a small package of frozen deveined shrimp that I wanted to use up and this recipe is perfect. If you wanted to substitute another protein, cooked chicken breast would work or even chopped tofu, seitan or field roast.
Another delicious ingredient in this dish could be fresh tomatoes. You could use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes or even diced romas if you wanted to use them up. Cook them with the rest of the vegetables in the begining and let them pop and ooze their delicious tomatoes juices out. It makes a great addition to the sauce. 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of tomatoes would be more than enough for the whole dish.
This sauce contains white wine. Please use a white wine that you like to drink.When the wine cooks, it will somewhat evaporate leaving a rich and more complex flavor. You want a light colored wine because a dark colored wine will turn the whole dish purple. Also white tends to be more popular in warmer months. My most favorite Riesling is from right here in my region of Washington state. Click here for more info. If you don’t care to use wine, there are optional alternatives. My first choice is white grape juice. You can also use lemon or lime juice but I like to sweeten that with 1/2 tsp of honey and mix it in.
When choosing asparagus, try to choose stalks that are still firm. The weepier or softer the stalks, the older and chewier they tend to be. I prefer the medium size stalks. Here is an article about choosing produce if you’d like to learn more. Choosing produce.
One last tip on cooking this dish is to be attentive to your pasta while it’s cooking. Use a timer to get the right time and do your best to test the doneness after the timer goes off. The best pasta is cooked but still has chew. This sauce needs ingredients that are firm to stand up to the sauce. Enjoy!
If you do make this dish or any others on Emerald Menus, please tag us @emeraldmenus on social media.
Quick Asparagus & Shrimp Pasta
This is a slightly creamy and summery easy stovetop dish that is delicous with summer ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 10 oz pkg frozen shrimp thawed, peeled & deveined
- ½ box spaghetti or fettuccine for this recipe, we used gluten free spaghetti
- 5 to 7 each asparagus stalks washed, trimmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
- ½ each medium sized yellow onion small diced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup white wine Use one you like
- 1 cup milk any milk will do, just make sure it is unsweetened
- ½ Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp shredded fresh basil
Instructions
-
Fill a pasta pot with 6 cups water and bring to a boil
-
In a large dutch oven, warm the olive oil for 30 seconds on medium high heat and then add the chopped onion, chopped asparagus and garlic into the dutch oven. Sprinkle with some of the salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes and then reserve in the separate mixing bowl.
-
Add the butter into the dutch oven on medium heat and warm it for 10 seconds and then add in the shrimp, another pinch of the salt and pepper and add in the paprika. Stir the shrimp in the butter for 3 minutes until it is still opaque but subtly turning pink. Take the shrimp out of the dutch oven and put it into the bowl with the onion and asparagus. Turn the heat down to low.
-
Add a pinch of salt to the boiling pasta water, turn the heat down to medium high and then add in the pasta. Cook for 7 minutes and drain. Set a timer for 7 minutes.
-
While the pasta is cooking, turn the heat on the dutch oven to medium and add in the wine. Cook the wine for 30 seconds stirring to scrape up some of the bits left over from the shrimp in the bottom of the dutch oven.
-
Then add in the milk, cornstarch and remaining salt and pepper to the wine and cook for 1 minute on medium heat. Then add in the parmesan cheese stir to combine. Then add in the vegetables and shrimp back into the dutch oven and cook in the sauce for 3 more minutes on medium heat stirring continuously. Then turn the heat completely off.
-
After the pasta is cooked, drain it and immediately add it to the sauce, vegetable and shrimp mixture. Toss with tongs to gently combine. Taste for any extra seasoning and garnish with chopped basil. Serve right away. Enjoy!
