For more springy goodness, check out our Spring-tastic Menu For Two ^[1]

Asparagus is one of my favorite springtime veggies—it’s incredibly quick and simple to prepare, and each bunch is more beautiful than the next at the farmer’s market. I’ve been known to use asparagus in everything this time of year—in pesto ^[2] to dress a pasta salad, as a creamy condiment ^[3] to dress a salad salad, and just as the go-to side dish du jour ^[4].

In this dish, my asparagus becomes part of the main course, and gets an Asian flavor makeover. The technique was inspired by the Bittman roasted shrimp ^[5] Cara and I have both been making relentlessly ^[6]. Since asparagus cooks fairly quickly, it’s one of the few vegetables that can roast with the shrimp and reach the same level of doneness in less than 10 minutes. Mix, roast, eat. If you line your pan with foil, you won’t even have to add much washing to the end of that equation. Serve with quinoa or rice, and you have a perfect spring weekinght meal.

From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,

Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK

**Recipe**

Roasted Soy-Ginger Shrimp and Asparagus
Makes 2-4 servings

This is excellent served alongside quinoa or rice. Mix your grain of choice with a little extra rice wine vinegar and soy sauce to add flavor.

Ingredients
1 shallot, sliced
2-inch knob ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, rinsed
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Combine the shallot, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and red pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper or dish towel so they don’t dilute the marinade. Add the shrimp and the asparagus to the bowl and toss to combine.

Lay the shrimp-asparagus mixture flat on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, and the asparagus is tender but still has a slight crunch, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl (making sure to keep any of the remaining marinade/juices) and toss with the mint. Serve alongside quinoa or rice.