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When the weather calls for lighter meals and fresh, in-season ingredients, shrimp pasta primavera is a natural go-to. Made with quick-cooking shrimp, fresh asparagus, sweet peas, and your favorite cut of pasta, it’s a meal that’s both easy and satisfying.
When we need something quick for dinner but don’t want to compromise on flavor, pasta primavera with shrimp is a favorite choice – especially in spring when asparagus is at its peak. It only needs a few pantry staples in addition to its main ingredients, and it goes from kitchen to table in just half an hour.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
- SHRIMP: We recommend using either jumbo (16 to 20 per pound) or extra-large (21 to 25 per pound) shrimp for this dish. We usually leave the tails on because we feel they add a little extra flavor during the sautéing process, but feel free to remove them before cooking if you’d rather not deal with them at the table.
- ASPARAGUS: When shopping for asparagus for this recipe, try to choose relatively thin spears. They’ll cook quickly and evenly in the wine sauce and have a more tender texture than thick spears.
- PEAS: Frozen peas are perfectly fine for this dish and can be used direct from the freezer. We happen to like the petite variety but regular sweet peas are fine, too.
- PASTA: Choose a cut of pasta with ridges or grooves to hold the light garlic wine sauce. We love cavatappi, but penne or rotini are good choices, too.
- WINE: We like dry white wines like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for this pasta sauce, especially because either one of those will go nicely with the finished dish. If you’d rather not use wine, substitute low-sodium chicken broth.
Overview
How to Make Pasta Primavera With Shrimp
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
SAUTÉ THE GARLIC AND ONION: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until translucent, stir in minced garlic and cook just until golden. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom.
COOK THE PASTA: Cook and drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water for the sauce. Return the pasta to the pan and toss it with olive oil and butter, then set it aside.
COOK THE ASPARAGUS AND PEAS: Back in the skillet, add the asparagus and half the reserved pasta water to the onion mixture. Turn up the heat a bit and cook until the asparagus is just tender. Stir in the peas and cook for another minute. Transfer the vegetables to the pasta pot and combine.
COOK THE SHRIMP: In the same skillet, heat the remaining butter and olive oil. Sauté the shrimp with a little salt and pepper just until they turn pink and opaque. Return the pasta and vegetables to the skillet, add chopped parsley, and toss everything together until heated through. If it seems dry, add a splash more pasta water. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.
Easy Recipe Variations
SWITCH PROTEINS: You could replace the shrimp with a quick-cooking protein like chicken tenderloins (cut into 1-inch pieces), or diced ham, which is already cooked.
SWITCH OR ADD VEGGIES: Sugar snap peas, shredded carrots, diced zucchini, and fresh green beans are all nice options for pasta primavera.
More Shrimp Pasta Recipes
We always keep a bag of frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp on hand. They defrost in about 20 minutes in a bowl of cool water – great for when you forget to plan ahead. Here are a few more ways to use them in an easy pasta dinner.
- Spanish Spaghetti with Shrimp and Chorizo (smoky, spicy, and delicious)
- Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta Salad (artichokes, olives, feta, and more)
- Sautéed Shrimp with Orzo (with garlic butter or Greek-style with feta and dill)
- Shrimp fra Diavolo (classic Italian with tomatoes, spicy red pepper, and basil)
- Pasta with Sautéed Shrimp and Zucchini (linguine tossed with garlicky sautéed shrimp, zucchini, and bell pepper)
Shrimp Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 10 ounces pasta, cavatappi, rotini, penne
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas, preferably petite
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on or off, your preference)
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until barely golden, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have accumulated on the bottom.
- Meanwhile, cook and drain the pasta reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter, toss to coat and set aside.
- Add the asparagus and about half of the reserved pasta water to the onion-garlic mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the asparagus is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the peas, cook for 1 minute longer, then transfer the veggies to the pot with the pasta and combine.
- Return the frying pan to the stove over medium-high heat and add the remaining butter and olive oil (1 tablespoon each). Add the shrimp, season with a little salt and pepper and sauté until pink and opaque, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
- Add the parsley, along with the pasta and vegetables, and continue cooking for about a minute until everything is heated through. If the mixture seems a little dry, you can add a bit more of the pasta water. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- To serve, plate individual servings, sprinkle with parsley, and crack a little black pepper over the top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was really good! I also added some lemon juice at the end! It was my kids first time trying asparagus and they both loved it.
Hi Nicole,
So happy to hear that your whole family enjoyed the pasta. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback for us – it’s greatly appreciated.