Summer Veggies with Pasta and Shrimp
I wanted a light and healthy dinner, so I made this summer veggies with pasta and shrimp recipe. This dish was packed full of vegetables, plump and juicy shrimp, and served with lots of Parmesan cheese. This easy shrimp pasta recipe was a big hit with all of us and paired well with a huge garden salad and some crusty baked bread.
Summer Veggies with Pasta and Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs shrimp, cleaned and shelled
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced (divided)
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 8 oz penne pasta cooked, per instructions, reserving ½ cup of cooking water
- 3 tbsp butter or olive oil, divided
- 7-8 mushrooms, quartered
- ¼ red onion, sliced thinly
- 2 small baby bell peppers, sliced thinly (I used yellow & orange)
- 10 spears of asparagus, woody ends trimmed & cut in half
- 1 zucchini, diced
- Large handful of grape tomatoes
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- Parmesan cheese, shredded
- Fresh basil, chopped
How to Make Summer Veggies with Pasta and Shrimp
Clean the shrimp and place them in a dish. Â Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Â Toss to coat evenly; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water according to the package instructions.  Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.  Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the veggies by heating 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and let them sit, without stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
Toss the mushrooms around and add 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil.
Next, add the onion and bell pepper to the large skillet, stirring occasionally, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the asparagus, zucchini, and grape tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the last 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Â Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Remove the veggies from the skillet and set them aside in a bowl.
Next, cook the shrimp by adding the last tablespoon of butter or olive oil to the large skillet over medium-high heat. Â Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp and let them sit for 2 minutes. Toss them to cook the other side for about 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through. Â Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set them aside.
Finish the pasta by adding the last tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, then toss in the pasta, veggies, shrimp, and the reserved water.
Season well with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and toss to coat evenly.
Serve immediately. Â Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs shrimp cleaned and shelled
- 4 cloves of garlic minced (divided)
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 8 oz penne pasta cooked per instructions, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water
- 3 tbsp butter or olive oil divided
- 7-8 mushrooms quartered
- ¼ red onion sliced thinly
- 2 small baby bell peppers sliced thinly (I used yellow & orange)
- 10 spears of asparagus woody ends removed & cut in half
- 1 zucchini diced
- Large handful of grape tomatoes
- Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- Parmesan cheese shredded
- Fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Clean the shrimp and place them in a dish. Â Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Â Toss to coat evenly; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water according to the package instructions.  Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.  Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the veggies by heating 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and let them sit, without stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Â
- Toss the mushrooms around and add another tablespoon of butter or olive oil.
- Next, add the onion and bell pepper to the large skillet, stirring occasionally, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the asparagus, zucchini, and grape tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the last 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Â Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Â
- Remove the veggies from the skillet and set them aside in a bowl.
- Next, cook the shrimp by adding the last tablespoon of butter or olive oil to the large skillet over medium-high heat. Â Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp and let them sit for 2 minutes. Toss them to cook the other side for about 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through. Â Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set them aside.
- Finish the pasta by adding the last tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, then toss in the pasta, veggies, shrimp, and the reserved water.
- Season well with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and toss to coat evenly. Â
- Serve immediately. Â Enjoy.
I know I’m in the minority, but I just don”t like pasta. Or rice, for that matter. But this would make a great messy sandwich. Thanks.
Love pasta and this sounds amazing. Diane
It looks so refreshing and mouth watering!! I love this combination of yours. Thanks for sharing,
Lia.
This looks so healthy and colorful. I want it for dinner!
The veggies sure do give it a burst of color.
That is one gorgeous bowl of pasta, Pam! It looks like summer on a plate!
I love dishes like this in the summer… light and fresh and simple… can’t ask for a better meal!!
This meal has my name all over it. I adore simple vegetable stir fries like this.
That is a lovely pasta! So fresh for the summer!
That looks delicious! Sans the onions, I am all over this one – summer in a bowl!
Look at all of those gorgeous veggies, this looks amazing.
Looks beautiful and delicious!!!
This has nothing to do with this recipe (although it looks deLISious) but I was just reading your FAQ page and wanted to pass this along: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/moroc+flatware.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn
Amy,
I have this flatware too but they are cocktail size pieces (very small) instead of regular size forks, spoons, and knives, which is what my readers have been wanting to get but Cost Plus no longer carries them. Thanks for the link.
Cheers,
Pam
I love how colorful this dish is!! And full of so many of my favorite things!
This is all great but what really impressed me was how perfect your mise en place is aligned in that picture.
this is so pretty to look at, it’s so bright and colorful! i bet it’s just as delicious!
The shrimp makes it oh, so delightful! Of course, the veggies are great, too, but I do love shrimp.
Yum, so delicious.
Love that this is a “clean-out-your-fridge” recipe! I always have lingering veggies that need to be used up!
So many great recipes… Hope I live long enough to enjoy half of them!!!
c
Tried the recipe tonight (01-30-2019). Delicious. It’s a “keeper”; thanks!
Dave
please help: step 2 reads “while pasta is cooking heat 1/2 tablespoon in the skillet over medium high heat. My question is what is the ingredient contained in the 1/2 of tablespoon you are heating?
Babs,
Olive oil. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe.
-Pam