I love pasta. Just noodles with store-bought marinara or butter. Or even plain, cold ones. Boring I know, but I’ve always loved it and probably always will.
But my metabolism isn’t exactly what it used to be, and I’m starting to learn that a bowl of plain ‘ol pasta for dinner probably isn’t the best idea… There’s no way I’m giving it up completely though. (The horror!) Luckily, I found something just as good, if not better—and some omega 3 and antioxidants even sneak in:
Spicy Shrimp and Roasted Asparagus Pasta
(serves 3-4)
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (thawed if need be)
1 tablespoon + 1/3 cup olive oil
1 bundle fresh asparagus
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 1/2 cups of your favorite pasta noodles
In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, parmesan, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes (add more if you like extra heat). Put the shrimp and marinade in a large Ziplock, seal bag and shake to coat. Place it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, snap the ends off the asparagus and throw them out. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces (or smaller if you prefer). Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to your taste. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and set baking sheet aside.
Next, bring water to a boil in a large pot and cook noodles al dente. When you put your pasta in the water, also put your asparagus in the oven. Both should take about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add your shrimp and marinade mixture, and cook shrimp until pink (about 2 minutes per side). Do not over cook! As soon as the shrimp is finished, add drained pasta and the asparagus into the skillet and toss to coat. Then it’s ready to serve. Enjoy!
(Inspired by Food & Wine and How Sweet Eats)
Urban Nesting 
You can make this for me….sounds deliciosa!
Sure. We can have it at our Oscars-watching party!