Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Step 1

In a medium-sized bowl, toss shrimp with 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Increase the pepper flakes to 1/2 tsp if you like things spicy. Cover and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Boil pasta in salted water according to package direction, under cooking by about a minute. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water. Drain and set aside.

Step 3

Coat a very large skillet in cooking spray. Saute shrimp over medium-high heat until just cooked through, about a minute or two a side depending on the size of your shrimp. Transfer cooked shrimp to a bowl and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon over them. Set aside.

Step 4

Lower the heat in the same skillet to medium and add in 1 tsp olive oil. Add asparagus to the skillet along with 1 tsp italian seasoning, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt. Saute until just softened, about 5 minutes. If the browned bits on on the bottom on the skillet start to get too dark, add in a few splashes of reserved pasta water to scrape them up.

Step 5

When asparagus is done, lower the heat and add pasta, shrimp, juice of the other half of the lemon, light butter, parmesan cheese, and cracked black pepper. Toss together, adding in pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.

Step 6

Taste for seasoning. Since there is salt in the pasta water, you probably won't need to add more. Garnish with parsley (optional).