Pasta Salad & Shrimp with Middle Eastern Flare

What's for dinner? Spice-rubbed shrimp on a bed of Israeli Cous Cous 

Over the past few summers, my staple barbecue side dish has been an orzo salad. I don't really follow a recipe, but you can expect some medley of olives, feta, peppers and tomatoes to be involved. It's a good salad, but I have a feeling my friends and family are getting a little tired of it. Or, at least, I am. 

Today's recipe, well, it's more like three, is the result of an experiment to find an alternative. Instead of orzo, I tried out Israeli Cous Cous, which I've had frequently at restaurants and loved, but not made at home. Have you tried it? It's larger than North African cous cous with a nice firm texture and cooks like regular pasta. I prefer smaller pastas for salads and this is an elegant alternative to orzo or macaroni.

When making pasta salad, here's a tip I learned from a food stylist that works: often you read about rinsing pasta for pasta salads to cool it down – don't. You'll wash off the starch, which you need for the dressing to adhere. Instead, spread it on a baking sheet and toss with a touch of oil to prevent sticking, then pop it in your fridge for a few minutes to cool. You're pasta salads will be tastier, I promise. (This works for rice and quinoa, too.)

For flavours, I wanted to give this recipe a bit of a Middle Eastern spin. This spicy basil dressing is a riff on pesto, with a touch of sweet from sun-dried tomatoes and heat from harissa paste. (You won't need all the dressing, but you can freeze the leftovers as you would pesto and use to flavour soups or pastas.) In the salad itself, I added preserved lemon for a salty-sour tang. And for the shrimp, which I added in just for fun – and to get a head start on dinner – I chose sumac and cumin, both earthy spices. The result is a bold, intensely flavoured and unique salad. Mainstay material? I'm not sure my focus group of one can make that decision. I'll have to trial it on May 2-4!

Middle-Eastern Spiced Shrimp & Israeli Cous Cous Salad with Spicy Basil Dressing 
Prep Time: 20 min. | Total Time: 1 hr. | Serves: 4 

For the Spicy Basil Dressing
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
generous pinch salt
1 tsp harissa paste 

Place basil, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in a blender. Blend until lightly chopped. Continue blending, slowly adding oil. Blend until combined. Remove sauce from blender. Add salt and harissa paste; stir to combine. Dressing can be made 1 to 2 days ahead, covered tightly with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.

For the Israeli Cous Cous Salad
1 bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 cups Israeli Cous Cous

1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon or zest of 1 lemon 
4 tbsp Spicy Basil Sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Toss asparagus in 1 tbsp oil and place on a roasting tray. Roast for approx. 15 to 20 min. Remove from oven, set aside to cool. Chop asparagus into bite sized pieces. 

Meanwhile, cook Israeli Cous Cous in salted boiling water for approx. 8 to 10 min. until al dente. Drain, spread on a roasting tray and toss in remaining olive oil. Place in refrigerator to cool. 

Place cooled asparagus, Israeli Cous Cous, shallot, yellow pepper, preserved lemon, Spicy Basil Sauce and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss to combine. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

For the Shrimp
1 tsp each sumac and ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 lb shrimp, shell on, cleaned and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl, mix spices together. Pat shrimp dry. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with spices. 

Pat shrimp dry. Heat oil in a medium skillet or grill pan on medium high heat. Sear shrimp on both sides and cook until opaque, approx. 7 min.