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Healthy Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta Recipe

Published: / Updated: / 38 Comments

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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:

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 9 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 431 kcal

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 Horrigan says

    5 stars
    Amazingly delicious and so pretty when plated. I made this dish for my very picky sister who doesn't like much...let alone asparagus. She loved it and had a second small helping! I used to make something similar years ago with heavy cream that was delicious, but will make this instead. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  2. Kathleen Clausing says

    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

  3. Becky says

    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

  5. John says

    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

  6. Robin says

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

    Reply

  7. Lisa Overton says

    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

  8. Lily Deliyanni says

    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

  9. Lynn says

    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

  16. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    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

  18. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    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