Creamy Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta
A rich and vibrant pasta dish featuring succulent shrimp, tender asparagus, and a velvety cream sauce. This Italian-inspired pasta recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, pairs spaghetti, shrimp, asparagus for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 lb (tails, peeled and deveined) shrimp
- 1 lb (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces) asparagus
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves (minced) garlic
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (grated) parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 12 oz spaghetti and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente, then drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Step 2: In a large skillet, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant — do not let it brown.
- Step 3: Add 1 lb shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp and set aside.
- Step 4: Add 1 lb asparagus to the skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender-crisp. Stir in 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, cooking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Step 5: Toss the cooked pasta into the skillet, adding 1/2 cup pasta water as needed to bind the sauce. Fold in the cooked shrimp and season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Serve immediately.








