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Fresh herbs and asparagus make this one-bowl meal a real treat! You’ll need two pots, though, because it’s especially good served over pasta. I used whole wheat spaghetti for an extra kick of fiber. The meal is so delicious and satisfying, nobody will guess that it took you less than half an hour or that it’s so healthy! If you’re watching your sodium, you’ll want a smaller portion. But then you probably already know that shrimp isn’t on your “limitless” list.

I should probably apologize to my two youngest kids. I have to confess, it never occurred to me when they were young to do anything with asparagus other than steam it. That’s how I grew up eating it, and all other vegetables, too. It’s still how I prepare the first few harvests. I’m always so excited for asparagus season that I don’t want its flavor competing with anything. But I have to wonder if I could have encouraged Middle and Youngest to like the stuff if I’d been a little more imaginative. Oldest managed to learn to like it just fine, though, so I don’t feel too guilty, and the younger two enjoy most other vegetables. I think home-grown is a marvelous way for kids to learn to like veggies. Helping with planting, watching them grow, and harvesting right before dinner is so much fun! It didn’t hurt that we had a big sandbox in the garden, too.

I’d love to tell you that adding the asparagus right to the pot was a well-thought-out plan. The truth, however, is that I completely forgot about it! So there I am, everything’s ready except for just a little more simmer time to thicken the sauce and no plan for the asparagus. What the heck, I thought, just toss it in! It turned out really well. The sauce is mild enough that the flavor of the asparagus shines through, and the brief cook time makes it a breeze. Don’t you just love it when seat-of-the-pants decisions turn out so well?

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ cup chopped onion (about 4 oz, or 113 g)

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 pound (454 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

¼ teaspoon fennel seed, crushed

¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (may substitute Ancho or paprika)

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 cups (480 ml) Fresh Tomato Sauce (may substitute 1 cup/240 ml commercial tomato sauce)

2 tablespoons loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon loosely packed fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon loosely packed fresh thyme leaves

Preparation:

1.) Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers; cook until just starting to brown a bit. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

2.) Add 2 more teaspoons of oil to the pan. Once it’s hot, add half the shrimp. Cook on both sides until browned but not cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and shrimp.

3.) Return the first batch of shrimp to the pan, then add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crush the fennel seed with a mortar and pestle. Add the crushed fennel seed, the Aleppo, black, and crushed peppers, and the tomato sauce (mine was still frozen) to the pan.

4.) Return the cooked peppers and onions to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook until shrimp is done and the sauce has thickened a bit.

5.) Combine the fresh herbs in a pile and chop them. Add to the pan.

6.) Break the asparagus spears into large bite-size pieces and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Cook no more than a minute or two, or until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Serve over pasta.