Prepare the ingredients. Cut the tips off the asparagus and slice the stalks into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces. Finely chop the garlic.

Clean the shrimp, remove the tails, and cut them in half. Zest the lemon, making sure to use only the green part, as the white part is bitter. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add the water, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and stir well. Add the pasta, stir, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook for 8 minutes.

Add the asparagus, stir, cover, and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the peas and cook uncovered for 3 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and shrimp. Stir and cover, letting it sit for 5 minutes so the shrimp cook in the residual heat. Serve and add Parmesan or Cotija cheese if desired.