Shrimp and Pearl Couscous

Starting with a rich, homemade shrimp stock and finishing with a zesty lemon-basil Parmesan topping, this dish is a crowd-pleasing recipe you'll want to keep on regular rotation.

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 15

Inactive time: 1 10

Total Time: 1 55

Servings:

Calories: 480kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined; shells reserved
1 lemon, juiced and zested; juice and zest kept separate
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 leek, trimmed and thoroughly scrubbed; white and green parts kept separate; green parts roughly chopped and white part thinly sliced into half-moons
6 cups water
1 shallot, peeled and diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups pearl couscous
4 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
20 basil leaves, divided
⅔ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the shrimp:

Add the peeled shrimp to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the lemon zest. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and transfer to the refrigerator until needed.

Make the shrimp stock:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells and cook, gently mashing them into the pot, for 3–4 minutes until all the shells are bright pink. Add the green part of the leek and toss to combine. Add 6 cups of water and 1½ teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the stock reduces to about 3 cups.
Once the stock finishes simmering, taste and add more salt if needed. Strain into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve and discard the spent shells and leeks. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stovetop.

Prepare the remaining ingredients:

As the stock simmers, prep the white part of the leek, shallot, and garlic. Roughly chop the spinach and transfer it to a bowl. Roughly chop 10 of the basil leaves and add to the bowl of spinach.

Make the lemon-basil Parmesan topping:

Chiffonade the remaining 10 basil leaves and transfer to a bowl. Combine with the remaining lemon zest, black pepper, and the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Make the pearl couscous:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the white part of the leek and the shallot. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the leek softens. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add crushed red pepper if you like. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the pearl couscous and cook for 1–2 minutes until lightly toasted. Season with salt.
Pour in 3 cups of shrimp stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 12–14 minutes. After 12 minutes, stir the pearl couscous and add more stock or water if needed. Continue simmering until the couscous is tender and has absorbed almost all the liquid in the pot.

Sauté the shrimp:

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat as the couscous finishes simmering. Once hot, add the shrimp and cook in an even layer until opaque. Cook in batches if needed, and turn the shrimp occasionally. Remove from the heat as soon as they are mostly opaque, as they will continue to cook off the heat. It should only take 2–3 minutes per side to cook the shrimp.

Finish the pearl couscous:

Add the bowl of chopped spinach and basil to the pearl couscous. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and season. Turn off the heat.

To serve:

Transfer the pearl couscous to a large serving bowl. Pile the cooked shrimp on top. Scatter half the Parmesan mixture on top. Serve the rest of the lemon-basil Parmesan at the table. Enjoy!

Nutrition

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