This bacon shrimp pasta is amazing! I mean, not to toot my own horn but, toot toot! I wasn't even planning on it being a recipe for the blog but once I tasted it, I knew I needed to get it up here. This recipe features, once again, my favorite chickpea angel hair pasta versus regular pasta. This makes a huge difference in the protein content of this meal. The brand of pasta I use is Banza Pasta and they sell it at Whole Foods, Sprouts and I think they also sell it at Ralph's. The consistency is great and in my opinion, it's more similar to actual pasta than other pasta substitutes I have tried. You can use your preferred pasta type and shape but if you want to add some extra protein, this is a good way to sneak it in.
I did not use any added oil for this recipe since the bacon grease works perfectly to cook the shrimp in while adding extra flavor but if you have a certain oil you prefer to use than you can toss out the grease after you have cooked the bacon. Or you can even omit the bacon altogether, however; I don't know why anyone would do such a thing because bacon is delicious. 🙂
If you're someone who is counting macros, this meal is perfect because it is so high in protein while being lower on the carbs.
I used frozen shrimp (that I defrosted) from Costco. As with most everything at Costco, I buy it in bulk. It comes in so handy to toss into meals as a lean protein source whenever I need to. Shrimp also cooks super fast so this dish didn't take long to prepare at all. The pasta itself takes the longest and the cooking time is only 5-6 minutes. Quick, simple and delicious? Yes please! Sign me up! This bacon shrimp pasta meets all those requirements!
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Protein Packed Bacon Shrimp Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This bacon shrimp pasta is the perfect easy weeknight meal. It's simple, healthy and packed with protein. Thanks to the use of chick pea pasta, it's also healthier and lower in carbs!
Ingredients
- 1 box Banza angel hair pasta (or 4 servings worth of your favorite angel hair)
- 24 oz peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 bunch asparagus spears (about 20)
- 4 slices bacon
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions on box and set aside
- While pasta is cooking, cook bacon in a skillet and set aside to crumble once cooled
- Cook shrimp in reserved bacon grease until done, about 2 minutes per side and set aside
- Chop the ends off of the asparagus and microwave for 60 seconds, then sautée in the same skillet
- Once asparagus is tender, drain excess grease from the skillet and throw in shrimp, angel hair, bacon, salt & pepper and toss together until well mixed
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if you're feeling' spicy
- Divide into 4 bowls and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 350
- Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 33.7
- Fiber: 8.8
- Protein: 43.8
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