One Pan Shrimp And Asparagus With Creamy Polenta

One Pan Shrimp And Asparagus With Creamy Polenta

This is a delicious meal packed with nutrition and goes together quickly. It is a one pan meal with lemon and basil, ready in 20 minutes. Serve it over creamy polenta, rice, or risotto. Trader Joes 
carries wild caught shrimp from the deep waters of Argentina, that I recommend.
Ingredients:
16 ounce peeled and defined shrimp
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot- diced
4–6 garlic fat cloves- roughly chopped
16 ounces asparagus (one large bunch), woody ends removed, cut into     
inch 1/2 inch pieces.
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lemon – use the zest, plus juice to taste.
10 basil leaves, cut into ribbons (or try Thai Basil!)
Serve over creamy polenta, rice, quinoa or on its own.

Directions:
Thaw frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water, drain, and pat dry. Season both sides with a little salt and pepper. 

Saute. Heat the olive oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallot and garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and chili flakes, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper. Stir frequently until tender crisp. ( If your asparagus is very thick, add a splash of water, cover and steam for a few minutes).

Sear the shrimp. Scoot asparagus to the sides (or to a side plate) add a little more olive oil to the pan, and add shrimp to the middle of the pan, searing each side.

Combine. Stir the whole thing together, squeeze in some lemon juice, and cover the pan for 1-2 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and vibrant green and the shrimp is cooked through.

Season. Add the basil ribbons, then taste, adjust salt and lemon to taste – find the balance.

Serve. Divide among bowls and top with lemon zest and chili flakes, or feel free to serve over rice or creamy polenta.

Notes:
A note on shrimp– I prefer frozen wildshrimp that is peeled and deveined. Trader Joe’s carries large Argentinian red shrimp, which are my favorite- affordable and good quality.  Serves 6 to 8

Leftovers will keep for 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I particularly love shrimp recipe this over our creamy polenta.

For extra richness, add a pat of butter at the very end of cooking. I’ll often add this to another’s portion after I take mine out. This way, they arebhappy with this buttery shrimp, and I’m happy with my lighter olive oil version.