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    Home » Fish & Seafood

    Healthy Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta Recipe

    Published: Feb 12, 2018 / Updated: Jul 4, 2020 / 36 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy healthy shrimp and asparagus pasta is deliciously lemony, fast, and uses only a handful of ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes!

    shrimp asparagus pasta on a white plate

    The shrimp and asparagus shine in the olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese sauce. It really is a dish that's reminiscent of spring!

    This asparagus and shrimp pasta recipe is nice and satisfying, but it's also fairly light and can give you a little break from cream sauces (you know how much I love to make those).

    Love asparagus and pasta? You may also like my asparagus and mushroom pasta, this asparagus and salmon pasta, or my lighter asparagus and bacon pasta. Or try the easiest way to cook asparagus (great side dish).

    easy shrimp asparagus pasta in a metal skillet

    When I first tested this recipe, I tried using half-and-half, but I totally botched the sauce and managed to separate it. I should have known that the lemon juice would curdle it, but I did it anyway and ended up throwing the first batch of sauce away (thankfully no shrimp were involved yet).

    It's a good lesson if you're ever tweaking a recipe. If you want a creamy sauce but there's a lot of citrus in the recipe, stick to heavy cream. You'll get a much better consistency and result, and it is much less likely to curdle.

    I'm actually pretty glad plan A failed and I moved onto plan B. When life gives you lemons lol...

    I'm happy that I ended up with a light and cheerful pasta that really didn't need any creaminess to be good.

    shrimp asparagus pasta on a white plate

    Try my other shrimp pasta recipes:

    • Creamy Lemon Shrimp Pasta
    • Spicy Shrimp Pasta with a Roasted Tomato Sauce
    • Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
    • Easy Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta
    • Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta Recipe
    • Shrimp and Bacon Pasta

    Hope you love this shrimp asparagus pasta!

    Let me know in the comments below if you've made it. 🙂

    This easy healthy shrimp and asparagus pasta is deliciously lemony, fast, and uses only a handful of ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes!

    Healthy Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta Recipe

    This easy healthy shrimp and asparagus pasta is deliciously lemony, fast, and uses only a handful of ingredients. Ready in 20 minutes!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4
    Calories 431 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta
    • 1 bunch of asparagus ends trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest from 1/2 lemon
    • 1 pound medium shrimp thawed & peeled (tails on optional)
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook al dente according to package directions.
    • Meanwhile, prep your other ingredients.
    • Add the oil and lemon juice + zest to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often.
    • Stir in the shrimp and garlic. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and let it cook for 3 minutes. If the shrimp are still a little gray, cover the pan again and continue cooking them for another minute or two (be careful not to overcook).
    • Stir in the parmesan, fresh parsley, and 1 tablespoon of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice as well if desired. Serve immediately. 

    Notes

    • I used a fairly small bunch of asparagus for this recipe.
    • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 37gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 297mgSodium: 1079mgPotassium: 417mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 835IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 341mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword shrimp and asparagus pasta
    Author Natasha Bull
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    1. Kathleen Clausing says

      January 3, 2021 at 5:30 PM

      5 stars
      I have made this several times now and we absolutely LOVE it! Didn't change a thing other than went a little less on the garlic. Very light and fresh! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 3, 2021 at 5:45 PM

        I'm so happy you like it!! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    2. Becky says

      August 5, 2020 at 10:50 PM

      5 stars
      Barilla makes a frozen version of this so I made it fresh and added chopped cherry tomatoes, extra lemon and red pepper. Delish!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 6, 2020 at 8:32 AM

        Awesome!

        Reply
    3. Sharion Farrugia says

      November 7, 2019 at 1:09 PM

      I did this recipe tonight and was awesome! Thankyou

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        November 7, 2019 at 4:31 PM

        So glad to hear it!!

        Reply
    4. John says

      October 4, 2019 at 10:20 AM

      I'll be trying this, I was looking for something exactly like this. I would bet that adding some lightly roasted pine nuts would be great here too.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 4, 2019 at 10:28 AM

        I agree! Let me know if you like it 🙂

        Reply
    5. Robin says

      September 18, 2019 at 5:19 PM

      5 stars
      Wow! This was delish! Will make again. The only change was to use additional spices. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Robin

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 20, 2019 at 10:19 AM

        You're very welcome!

        Reply
    6. Lisa Overton says

      April 16, 2019 at 1:51 AM

      5 stars
      I made this for my son and daughter in law Sunday and everyone loved it ! They said it was restaurants quality! I will definitely make this again. Thank you for the great recipe.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 16, 2019 at 7:45 PM

        I am so glad to hear it!! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Lily Deliyanni says

      April 7, 2019 at 10:01 AM

      5 stars
      I made it and it’s really fantastic!
      So light and fresh,full of flavor!
      I added some red pepper too and it was super!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 7, 2019 at 3:57 PM

        Yay! So glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
        • Steven M. says

          November 3, 2019 at 5:27 PM

          I just made this for my son and myself. We almost cleared out the entire pot! 👍👍👍👍👍

          Reply
          • Natasha says

            November 3, 2019 at 7:13 PM

            That's what I like to hear! 🙂

            Reply
    8. Lynn says

      July 2, 2018 at 2:46 PM

      Had this for dinner Saturday night. Loved it so much I’m fixing it again tomorrow night! Didn’t have the fresh parsley, but I didn’t miss it. Might try a little dries parsley next time.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 3, 2018 at 8:06 AM

        That's wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    9. Jennifer Farley says

      February 14, 2018 at 6:52 AM

      I have to make this! It looks so fresh and delicious!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 14, 2018 at 8:59 AM

        Thanks so much!

        Reply
    10. Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says

      February 13, 2018 at 2:54 PM

      Love shrimp pasta!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 13, 2018 at 3:05 PM

        Thanks, Jennifer!

        Reply
    11. Kankana says

      February 13, 2018 at 10:26 AM

      That is a winning combination of ingredients! And so light.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 13, 2018 at 1:02 PM

        Thanks so much! Yes, I was craving something a little lighter when I came up with this one. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Gina @Running to the Kitchen says

      February 12, 2018 at 7:10 PM

      What a great combo! Looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 12, 2018 at 7:26 PM

        Thanks, Gina!!

        Reply
    13. Debs says

      February 12, 2018 at 2:56 PM

      5 stars
      Perfect Valentine's food!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 12, 2018 at 2:58 PM

        Thank you, Debs! 🙂

        Reply
    14. leigh Ann says

      February 12, 2018 at 12:40 PM

      This meal looks so delicious! My hubby loves any kind of shrimp pasta!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 12, 2018 at 12:42 PM

        Thanks, girl!

        Reply
    15. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      February 12, 2018 at 10:05 AM

      Now this is my kind of pasta recipe Natasha! I love asparagus and shrimp together! This would be a perfect meal for Valentine's Day!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 12, 2018 at 10:23 AM

        Definitely! Thank you, Mary Ann 🙂

        Reply
    16. Karen says

      February 12, 2018 at 7:44 AM

      5 stars
      Going to make this recipe tomorrow. We love sun dried tomatoes and will add that into the mixture. Looks fabulous!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 12, 2018 at 8:09 AM

        Sounds good to me!! Hope you enjoy the recipe, Karen! 🙂

        Reply
    17. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      February 12, 2018 at 6:13 AM

      5 stars
      Looks so fresh, bright and delicious! Looks like you have a winner of a recipe even without the cream 😉 Perfect for lunch today!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 12, 2018 at 8:08 AM

        Thanks so much, Dawn!!

        Reply

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    Natasha Bull, founder and author of Salt & Lavender, in the kitchen

    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

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