Shrimp & Israeli Couscous Carbonara

We love carbonara around here. Black Pepper Rocks! It is a great go-to weeknight meal; it is quick and packed with goodies. Most of the ingredients are items I normally have in the larder.

I first learned about carbonara when I was in college”studying” in Italy a cooking instructor said it is what young people enjoy late-night after the cinema, or visiting with friends. We have Letterman, they have carbonara.
This recipe is an adaptation based on what I had on hand. Also, I just really love shrimp.

recipe

olive oil
1/3 cup onion–finely minced
1 1/3 cup israeli couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
white wine or broth or water
15 shrimp (approx) (raw, shelled and deveined)
1 Tbs minced chive
1 Tbs black pepper
1 large egg
1/4 cup cream
parmesan cheese for serving
In a pot, pour a bit of olive oil–cooking over medium heat. Toss in onion and cook onion until it becomes translucent.  Toss in the Israeli couscous and stir until it starts to brown a bit.  Pour in the chicken stock, cover the pan and cook about 12 minutes or until the liquid has been fully absorbed.
Meanwhile, in a frying pan, cook the bacon until it just starts to crisp up.  Add in a bit of liquid (wine, chicken broth or water) to slow the cooking and make a bit of a sauce. Don’t be heavy-handed, you want no more than an ounce.  While the pan is still hot, toss in the shrimp and cook until just done. Take the pan off the heat and set aside for a minute.

In a bowl whisk together the egg, black pepper, cream, and minced chive. All at once, toss in the hot couscous (the hot pasta will cook the egg but keep it creamy) and stir well.  Add the warm shrimp and bacon and stir again. Serve immediately.

This will make a nice first course for 4 people or dinner for 2