Earlier this week I was watching OETA Create. It’s the PBS station in Oklahoma. Anyway, Nick Stellino’s cooking show featured a shrimp, pepper and asparagus ragu.  Now it so happens that asparagus is popping up in my garden. Oh so good.  After I came home from my errands today, my planned dinner was this shrimp ragu.  And it was yummy! I had some day old bread and I made garlic bread. Up ‘til that point it was fairly lo-carb, but there are times when you just have to go for it! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

• 1 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 4 slices of thick cut Bacon, cut into 1” pieces
• 4 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 1 cup Asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 Red Pepper seeded and diced
• 1 lb large Shrimp, shelled, de-veined and cut into 3 pieces (freeze the shells & save for fish stock)
• ½ cup White Wine
• 2 Tbls Butter
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Garlic Bread

Heat the EVOO in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until it starts to brown.  Add garlic and asparagus and cook about 4 minutes. Add red pepper, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook about 3 minutes. Add wine to the skillet and stir until it reduces by half. About 4 minutes. Add butter. Stir until it melts.  Season to taste. You can serve this with garlic bread that you were cooking while the ragu was on the stove.