Fusilli with Asparagus, Shrimp, and Cherry Tomatoes

Given the snowy weather in much of the States, I have a feeling that most of the country is still dreaming of a nice, warm and comforting bowl of soup. Spring is almost here, and if the weather doesn’t prove it, you just need to head to the produce isle of your grocery store and you’ll see huge bins of asparagus bunches, all lined up and ready to brighten your grocery basket.

Asparagus can be cooked in different ways. I like to half-cook and half-steam them, that is, steaming the whole spears upright in few inches of boiling water. The upright position allows the hard, thicker bottom to cook in water while the tips of the asparagus gently steam, preserving their crispiness.

Asparagus go amazingly well with shrimp. I bought a small bunch and I whipped up a pasta dish with some frozen shrimp and a few cherry tomatoes–it’s a simple and lovely way to bring spring to the table!

FUSILLI WITH ASPARAGUS, SHRIMP, AND CHERRY TOMATOES
Servings: 2 | Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS
180 g (6.4 oz) fusilli pasta (the ones I used are called fusilli bucati corti)
a small bunch of asparagus (about 15)
1 small shallot, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a pasta pot of salted water to a boil.
2. At the same time, pour about 3 1/2 inches of water into a taller pot and bring to a boil [if you have it, you can use an asparagus pot instead].
3. Trim the base of the asparagus stalk. Peel off hard skin from 2/3 of the stalks, leaving the top part intact.
4. Fasten the asparagus stalks into a bundle, using cooking twine. Place them in the tall pot of water in an upright position, with the tips extending a couple of inches or more above the boiling water. Cover, lower heat, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until bottom parts are tender and cooked through and spears are crisp tender. [Cooking time varies depending on the thickness and age of the asparagus]
5. Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and stir until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until they soften (about 3 min). Turn the heat to medium high, add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
6. Remove cooked asparagus from the pot and reserve 2 tablespoons of cooking water. Trim the bottoms (about 1/3 of the stalk) and place bottoms in a blender with a bit of olive oil, a pinch of salt and the reserved cooking water. You will obtain a runny light green sauce.
7. Cut the rest of the asparagus in small pieces and toss them in the pan with tomatoes and shrimp.
8. Cook fusilli according to package instructions. When al dente, drain and toss in the skillet. Turn the heat on, add green sauce and let it saute until pasta absorbs flavors (about 1-2 min). Add salt, if necessary. Serve.

Buon appetito!