Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp & Asparagus
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Meal Notes: Although this recipe can stand on its own, you’ll get more servings if you pair it with rice, couscous, or pasta.
Source: Modified from Carlsbad Cravings
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds uncooked shrimp*
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons parsley
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons butter
Directions
Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Trim asparagus ends. If not already peeled, deveined, and detailed, prepare shrimp. Cube the butter into small pieces.
Cook asparagus: Add asparagus to sheet pan and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat, then arrange in a single layer. Roast for 4-6 minutes, until just barely tender.
Roast Shrimp: Remove pan from oven. Push asparagus to one side of the pan (keep in a single layer). Add shrimp to pan and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Add remaining minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes, and fresh parsley. Toss to coat and arrange shrimp in a single layer. Top asparagus with 1 Tablespoon of the cubed butter arranged evenly and then top shrimp evenly with remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Roast for about 5 minutes, until shrimp is opaque.
Finish: Remove pan from oven and drizzle with lemon juice, seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.
*What type of shrimp should I use? Unless you live near the ocean and/or frequent a fresh seafood market, I recommend using a package of frozen shrimp. The more expensive “fresh” shrimp you’ll find at most inland grocery store seafood counters is generally just dethawed frozen shrimp.
About an hour before cooking, place the frozen shrimp in a colander to dethaw. In a pinch, you can speed up dethaw time by running cold water over the shrimp for a few minutes.