Spring Pasta With Asparagus, Tomato, Leeks, Shrimp

Spring is wonderful for so many reasons – the warming weather, more hours of sunshine, beautiful flowers and of course, a greater variety of seasonal vegetables.

If you’re in the mood to splurge with a little pasta, this dish will make great use of your farmer’s market haul this Spring.

A couple notes on protein here – I’ve used shrimp and turkey bacon, the latter being a cured meat that should be eaten sparingly (because of all processed meat’s association with cancer). Also, I’ve only used turkey bacon because my husband doesn’t eat pork. That being said, you could easily skip this ingredient, or skip all of the protein to make it entirely vegetarian and while different, I still think it would be tasty!

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 package of angel hair pasta 
• ~6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 2 large tomatoes
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 package bacon/pancetta or turkey bacon 
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 lbs shrimp
• ~3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Cut your bacon into very small pieces as well as the leeks. Smash and chop your garlic. Cut your asparagus and tomatoes into larger pieces. 

Heat a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Add in around 2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp olive oil and pasta and cook for 9 minutes. When finished cooking, save 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. You may drizzle a little more oil on the pasta to keep it from sticking.

In a large saute pan, heat ~3 tbsp olive oil (if you’re using real bacon you don’t need as much oil). Add in the turkey bacon, garlic and leeks, and let cook until the meat starts to crisp (around 5 minutes for turkey bacon). Add in ½ cup of white wine and let cook for another 2-3 minutes until the liquid cooks down. 

At this point you can add in the shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes. Next, add in the tomatoes, asparagus, salt & pepper.  Cook for just 1- 2 minutes before adding in the pasta with just a little bit of the pasta water you had set aside. If you wait too long to add the pasta, the tomatoes will all but disappear and the asparagus will be too chewy.

Top with parmesan if you would like before serving, and enjoy!

Print Recipe

Spring Pasta With Asparagus, Tomato, Leeks, Shrimp

Dinner – Mediterranean

By Janice Yucel – Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 20 Minutes – Total Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 package of angel hair pasta 
• ~6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 2 large tomatoes
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 package bacon or turkey bacon 
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 lbs shrimp
• ~3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

1

Cut your bacon into very small pieces as well as the leeks. Smash and chop your garlic. Cut your asparagus and tomatoes into larger pieces. 

2

Heat a large pot of water and bring to a boil.

3

Add in around 2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp olive oil and pasta and cook for 9 minutes. When finished cooking, save 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. You may drizzle a little more oil on the pasta to keep it from sticking.

4

In a large saute pan, heat ~3 tbsp olive oil (if you’re using real bacon you don’t need as much oil).

5

Add in the turkey bacon, garlic and leeks, and let cook until the meat starts to crisp (around 5 minutes for turkey bacon).

6

Add in ½ cup of white wine and let cook for another 2-3 minutes until the liquid cooks down. 

7

At this point you can add in the shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes.

8

Next, add in the tomatoes, asparagus, salt & pepper.  Cook for just 1- 2 minutes before adding in the pasta with just a little bit of the pasta water you had set aside. If you wait too long to add the pasta, the tomatoes will all but disappear and the asparagus will be too chewy.

9

Top with parmesan if you would like before serving, and enjoy!