garlicky pasta with grilled shrimp and asparagus

Dinner

Garlicky Pasta with Grilled Shrimp & Asparagus

This grilled garlic-shrimp pasta with asparagus is a great way to have a fancy dinner on the table in minutes, and it's perfect for any night of the week.

Ingredients

1 pound penne, preferably whole-wheat
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste
½ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
⅓ cup grated romano cheese
1 pound large shrimp (21-30 count), peeled and deveined
12 ounces asparagus, trimmed
cooking spray

Directions

Preheat grill to medium.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook penne according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth, cream, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese and the penne.
Meanwhile, lightly coat shrimp and asparagus with cooking spray and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until the shrimp are opaque and the asparagus is tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, chop asparagus and stir into the pasta. Serve topped with the grilled shrimp.