Redbook Tagliatelle with Pesto, Asparagus, and Shrimp

Growing up I was always the kid asking for seconds of asparagus at the Easter table. I love asparagus and have passed on the feelings to my two boys. In the spring when the prices on asparagus go down and they are readily available I buy them at least once a week. For a number of years I made steamed asparagus and added various sauces. Then about 5 years ago I discovered that asparagus is delicious when cooked in pasta dishes or roasted. The great flavor remains without the outside becoming slimy and unappetizing. Recently, Redbook magazine had a recipe for Tagliatelle with Pesto, Asparagus, and Shrimp which looked easy with only 6 ingredients and full of one of my favorite vegetables asparagus.

This recipe has 6 ingredients. It takes 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking and makes 4 servings. I used fresh fettuccine since it is the only fresh pasta that was available. To save time during dinner prep I shelled and de-veined the shrimp in the morning. Additionally, I cut the asparagus in the morning, so my dinner prep was minimal. I did notice that the cooking time for the pasta in the recipe is off. My pasta only took a total time of 3 minutes so I added the asparagus at the same time since it needed to be cooked 2-3 minutes. Finally, it took a little longer than the suggested 3 minutes for the wine to reduce. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I made this dish after a very long day visiting family over the weekend. I was able to make everything in 15 minutes, which was great! My two boys loved the shrimp and ate their servings quickly. Using fresh pasta saves a lot of time, especially when making dinner at the last minute. Best of all the recipe has 46 grams of protein. Overall, a very quick recipe using fresh vegetables and child friendly.

For the recipe go to Tagliatelle with Pesto, Asparagus, and Shrimp.