1clovegarlic, large, finely minced or 2 small cloves
2tablespoonsshallots, finely chopped
8asparagus spears
12cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3tablespoonsfresh basil
6ouncesshrimp
Juice of a wedge of lemon
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the asparagus spears by washing them gently and breaking off the hard end. Cut the spears into bite size pieces and dry them.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make sure it has at least 3 tablespoons of salt in it to make sure the linguine cooks properly and tastes good. Boil the linguine until it is tender but still firm. Drain it well before mixing it with the shrimp and vegetables (which you will cook while the pasta water is boiling).
Meanwhile, in heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. If your shrimp are raw, cook the shrimp in the hot oil for just a few minutes until they are pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Add the garlic and shallots to the hot pan. Cook, stirring them in the oil, for about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus spears and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the shrimp back to the pan and squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Drain the cooked pasta well. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the hot linguine or add the linguine to the pan of vegetables and mix it all together well.
Notes
This easy pasta recipe serves 2, but can easily be multiplied to serve as many as you want.