With a pound of of fresh asparagus sitting in my fridge, I decided to try my hand at something of an Italian stir fry. Gremolata is an Italian condiment made of chopped herbs and lemon zest, and I'll tell you what. I served this wonderdish alongside some good 'ole Uncle Ben's wild rice and called it a semi-homemade kinda night.
Ingredients:
Gremolata
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
- Dash of salt
- Dash of freshly ground black pepper
- 3-4 minced garlic cloves
Shrimp & Veggies
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cups (about 1/2 pound) chopped asparagus
- 1 bell pepper, preferably red, yellow or orange
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- Dash of salt
- Dash of freshly ground black pepper
For gremolata, combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stir and set aside. (I went with 4 cloves 'cause I love that intense garlicky flavor, but to each their own.)
To prepare the rest, heat a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to your pan and let it heat for about half a minute. Add your chopped asparagus and peppers to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. (I chose half a red bell pepper and half a yellow bell pepper for color.) Once cooked through, remove the asparagus and peppers from the pan and set aside.
Drizzle the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil to your skillet and let it heat up again for 30 seconds. Add your peeled shrimp, sprinkle in the gremolata and sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Your shrimp should be bright pink when ready. Add the asparagus and peppers back, along with a dash of salt and pepper. Stir together until thoroughly heated.
Serves 4