Pasta with Shrimp, Asparagus & Sun-Dried Tomato

Would oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes make a difference between 'good' and 'great'The comments on Epicurious raved about this recipe. I thought it was good enough but wouldn't make it again. The difference may well have been the sun-dried tomatoes.

Mostly, sun-dried tomatoes are either packed in oil or dessicated discs. A local supermarket (for St. Louisans, Dierbergs) has no-oil sun-dried tomatoes in the produce section, still fat and plump and full of flavor. At $8 a pound, they're pricey but addictively delicious.

So this dish might be worth a good rave if oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes were used. It's worth a try!

NUTRITION NOTES
  • I've learned to allow 2 ounces of dried pasta a serving. It's plenty, especially when a serving includes lots of vegetables and flavor and so is both filling and satisfying.
  • Nearly all other sources -- an exception is Eating Well -- presume a 4 ounce serving. What do other cooks allow? I'm curious!
  • I'm very sad that my local supermarket has stopped stocking Dreamfields low-carb, low-glycemic pasta which tastes like 'real' pasta and is life-changing for carb watchers. (2008 Good news! Amazon now sells Dreamfields Pasta.)

NEXT TIME It seems that whenever a 'quick' pasta supper is in order, it's time to eat and everything but the pasta is ready so you spend 10 or 20 minutes holding supper and toe-tapping around while starving. Tonight I started with HOT tap water and it seemed to definitely cut off a few important minutes. (2008: I've started boiling water in the tea kettle for pasta water: much much faster.)


VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ more asparagus recipes ~
~ more main dish recipes with piles of vegetables ~

PASTA with SHRIMP, ASPARAGUS & SUN-DRIED TOMATO

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 40 minutes
Serves 4

Hot, salted water
8 ounces pasta

1 pound asparagus, steamed & cut in two-inch lengths

1 tablespoons olive oil (use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes if they're oil-packed)
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Red pepper flakes to taste
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut in ribbons

Sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese for garnish

Bring the salted pasta water to boil. Cook pasta according to instructions. Steam asparagus.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over MEDIUM HIGH until shimmery. Add the tomatoes, shrimp, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook til shrimp are just opaque, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as necessary. Transfer shrimp mixture to large bowl. Using the same skillet, add the broth, wine and tomato paste and cook until just beginning to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Add sauce, asparagus and cooked pasta to the shrimp mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil. Transfer to four serving plates and top each serving with fresh Parmesan.


KITCHEN NOTES
This is my final contribution to Asparagus Aspirations over at Seriously Good -- it's a wonderful source for every-day ideas about cooking asparagus. Thank you, Kevin, for an asparagus showcase!


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© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2006


Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 24, 2006

    LOL!! Great mind think alike..or something like that!! I did asparagus too, and for Asparagus Aspirations. I love the idea of using the sun-dried tomatoes. No wonder so many people raved about this recipe.

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  2. I love those long spiral pasta - they do look lovely!

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  3. AnonymousMay 24, 2006

    Hey Alanna--I wonder if rehydrating the tomatoes first would help? I can never bring myself to pay for the oil-packed ones, so I always soak the dried ones first. They aren't the same, I'm sure, but they do turn juicier.
    I love the asparagus-shrimp- basil combination, and those spirals are so cute!

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  4. It certainly does look good. I'll have to keep an eye out for the oil-packed tomatoes at the upcoming farmer's markets. Someone always has some reasonably priced.

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  5. Sher - "Great minds", yes! I think such every time I visit your site!

    Catherine - Aren't spirals the coolest? And they slurp great ...

    Jennifer - The sun-dried tomatoes that I get are pretty special - they're dried but still fat and happy and plump and moist, not the dessicated things you find so often (which I forgo).

    Erika - Yes it'd be worth finding sun-dried tomatoes. They're very handy to have on hand for last-minute dishes.

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  6. AnonymousMay 26, 2006

    it looks great. i don't eat seafood but i want to try it with the rest of the ingredients. i am alays on the lookout for asparagus recipes.

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  7. Hi Alanna
    I came across your blog, while I was looking for recipes Asparagus. You have wonderful recipes. I have couple of questions
    I'm strictly vegetarian, what type of vegetable I can use instead of shrimp

    Can I use italian seasoning instead of oregano.

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  8. Hi Padmaja ~ How lucky you are, to have asparagus in February! Truly you must be in the 'south' of India. I'd be tempted to substitute tofu for the shrimp or perhaps a summer squash, something that will create a little volume and heft. Let me know what you do!

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  9. Hi Alanna
    Thanks a lot for ur instant reply. I had yellow pepper in my fridge, so used that and onions and pinch of redpepper flakes for little heat and lemon juice. It turned out really tasty, I will post it in my blog soon:). BTW I live in Virginia, USA:. Will try with tofu next time.

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  10. AnonymousMay 07, 2008

    My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! He couldn't stop raving about it! I used angel hair pasta, and I got my sun-dried tomatoes in oil for a decent price at Trader Joe's. Thanks for the great recipe!!

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  11. Had this tonight for Sunday evening dinner. The hubby loved it. My 7yo liked it, but of course complained as he does with everything. I kept a small amount of sauce and veggies separate from the shrimp for our 2 1/2 yo. She gobbled it all down. Thumbs up on this recipe.

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  12. AnonymousMay 22, 2011

    FYI - The still plump and flavorful sun dried tomatoes are available in small packages at Trader Joe's. I like to throw a handful into a green salad for a little surprise extra flavor. Or I may just eat a couple right out of the bag. They are very useful in many ways.

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  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  14. I haven't tried this recipe. On the menu this evening. Have a shrimp & pasta recipe that is a favorite. It does not include asparagus, but rather quartered artichokes and black olives. It also uses a good deal of lemon (1/4 cup, servings 4, if I remember correctly). For those who what to make this vegetarian, consider these options.

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna