Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus

Sometimes you want dinner to be simple and bright. Shrimp, asparagus, lemon and garlic on one sheet pan, twelve minutes in the oven, and a single pan to wash. There isn't much to it, which is exactly why the few details matter.

Match the sizes

Shrimp and asparagus cook at about the same speed if the pieces are the same size. That's why large shrimp matter here: small ones are done in six minutes while the asparagus is still raw. Cut the asparagus into pieces roughly the length of a shrimp, and if your spears are very thick, halve them lengthwise.

Heads up

If it doesn't fit in one layer, use two pans. Piled-up shrimp and asparagus steam in their own liquid and never pick up any color.

Zest and juice

The zestzestThe thin, colored outer layer of a citrus peel, grated off with a fine grater. It holds the fragrant oils, so it tastes more like lemon than the juice does. Stop before you hit the bitter white pith.More: Single-Serve Lemon Loaf carries lemon flavor that holds up in the oven. The juice gives it the sour kick. Using both is what keeps a four-ingredient dinner from tasting flat. A few red pepper flakes are worth it if you like a little heat.

Try this

For a saucier shrimp dinner that holds up better as leftovers, see Shrimp Stir Fry. If you'd rather use the air fryer, Air Fryer Garlic Butter Shrimp is even quicker, and Sheet Pan Jambalaya is the spicier sheet-pan route.