a little of each

From http://www.cookingforengineers.com. Makes four servings.

Ingredients

½ lb asparagus spears

½ lb shrimp, shelled and deveined

6 Tbl butter

12 oz orzo

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup parmesan, freshly grated

2 Tbl parsley

Salt and pepper

Directions

Cook asparagus spears in boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove the asparagus from the water and add the orzo to the same water.  Boil the orzo until al dente and drain if necessary. While the orzo is cooking, cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and cook the shrimp. In a skillet, melt the butter and add the shrimp, cooking for 1 minute on each side. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the shrimp and deglaze the skillet with the chicken stock. Scrap up any brown bits and when the broth starts to bubble, add it to the orzo pot. Stir the orzo and broth over medium heat until it thickens and looks a little creamy. Mix the shrimp and asparagus into the orzo. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and parsley.