Parmesan Couscous and Shrimp

For a delicious and quick dinner try this parmesan couscous and shrimp. Using pearl couscous which taste like pasta pearls, succulent shrimp and broccoli in a garlic and parmesan sauce. This filling dinner takes less than 30 minutes to make and is sure to be a family favorite.

You might also like this chicken and couscous soup recipe.

I love pearl couscous. They taste like little pasta balls or tiny dumplings to me. Today I was short of time and put together this parmesan couscous and shrimp recipe and I was so happy with the results I decided to share it here.

The combination of the pasta like couscous, shrimp and broccoli combined with a sauce made from lemon, garlic and parmesan made for a very tasty dinner. My family loved it too so this flavorful dish will become another regular in our meal rotation.

So if you are looking for a quick meal that is also a little unusual and elevated you have to give this couscous recipe a try. It’s a filling and delicious one pot meal too so all you need is a salad to complete this. It would be great too if you are having company or just as a tasty weeknight meal.

Recipe ingredients and substitutions.

The simple ingredients I used for this recipe is raw shrimp, butter, garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice and zest, broccoli florets, fresh parmesan cheese grated and pearl couscous. I also seasoned with salt and black pepper.

Raw Shrimp
I had this frozen peeled raw shrimp on hand so I used this. You want to use peeled raw shrimp because you want to saute it in the garlic butter sauce. The size doesn’t matter and you can use frozen shrimp or fresh if you want. And if you want a vegetarian option just eliminate the shrimp.

Pearl Couscous
This is sometimes also referred to as Israeli couscous. It’s much bigger than regular couscous so make sure it says pearl or Israeli on the package. You can usually find this in the international aisle at large grocery stores.

If you want you can substitute with a smaller pasta like orzo or ditalini if you want but this dish was made specifically for using the couscous.

Parmesan Cheese
I like to use a block of parmesan cheese and grate it myself for recipes like this. You could use already grated parmesan cheese but this will add more flavor and melt nicer.

While I used broccoli for to add some color and fresh veggies to the dish you can substitute other vegetables like asparagus, peas, grape tomatoes, mushrooms etc. You can also garnish with herbs like fresh basil or parsley.

How to make parmesan pearl couscous and shrimp.

This is basically a one pan meal so there really is no extra bowls or pans other than making the couscous if you don’t have any already cooked.

Step 1: Get a pot of water going and make the pearl couscous according to package instructions. When done, drain the water and set aside.

Step 2: Meanwhile as that is cooking , get out a large skillet and heat to medium heat. And add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 clove of garlic crushed. Once the butter melts also add the broccoli florets. Cook for a minute or so and then add the shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and black pepper.

Step 3: Cook for 2-3 minutes or so until the shrimp has just turned pink. Then add the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of butter and another clove of garlic crushed. Mix together and add cooked couscous.

Step 4: Lastly add the grated parmesan and the lemon zest. Mix well and cook for another minute or two until the cheese melts and then take off the stove.

And that is all there is to it. Spoon on to plates and enjoy. If you want you can add extra parmesan cheese or even some hot pepper flakes if you want more heat.

This was pretty much a complete meal as it has a veggie, protein and grain but you can serve it with a green salad too if you wish.

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.

Other delicious shrimp recipes to try.

For more healthy meals try one of these other shrimp recipes that I think you you might also like.

• low calorie shrimp and pasta freezer meals
• cajun sausage and shrimp sheet pan dinner
• red pepper pasta with shrimp
• easy shrimp nachos
• or try some of these 28 keto shrimp recipes

Well the amazing flavors of this recipe turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I love the use of the pearl couscous with shrimp and the buttery parmesan flavors. It was filling yet fresh with the lemon juice and zest. I hope you like it as much as we did. Enjoy!