Simple and deliciously seasoned Shrimp Couscous is roasted on a single sheet pan with asparagus and red pepper. This meal is topped with an addictive green herb sauce!
HERBSAUCE: Start with the sauce so it has time for the flavors to meld; this sauce can be made 1-2 days in advance. In a large Mason jar, add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, honey, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Finely chop garlic (3 cloves or less if sensitive to garlic and 4 cloves for garlic lover!). Add the garlic to the jar and shake well to combine ingredients. Finely chop a bunch of parsley to get a full 1/2 cup (you should use most of a good-sized bunch; simply cut off the bottom of the entire bunch and chop the rest). Finely chop the cilantro. Add the finely chopped parsley and cilantro to the jar and stir to combine. Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate to "marinate" while preparing the rest of the dish.
VEGGIES and SHRIMP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large sheet pan, add the chopped asparagus (remove ends and then cut all the asparagus into 3 parts) and chopped red pepper (very thinly slice the entire pepper and cut those slices in half). In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir to form a paste and add exactly half to the veggies. Toss well to coat and spread into 1 even layer so no veggies are overlapping. Place in the oven and cook for 6-7 minutes (this will vary on the actual thickness of veggies). Meanwhile, prepare the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry and gently toss in a bowl with the remaining spice mix/paste. Remove veggies from the oven, toss, and allow room for the shrimp. Add shrimp to the sheet pan and cook for another 6-7 minutes or until shrimp is opaque and veggies are crisp-tender. Remove.
COUSCOUS: While everything is cooking, prepare the couscous according to package directions. (Bring 1 cup water to a boil and once it boils, remove from heat, stir in couscous, and place the lid on. Let stand for 2-4 minutes.) Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add 1/2 cup of the herb sauce and the last remaining tablespoon of lemon juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or season to taste).
SERVE: Divide couscous onto 2 (or 4 - see Note 1) plates. Add equal amounts of veggies and equal amounts of shrimp. Serve with remaining herb sauce. (Add to taste; you may have some leftover.) Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Note 1: This meal generously serves 2 large portions. However, it did perfectly feed our family -- 2 adults and 2 toddlers. This meal doubles and triples well-- just be sure to separate veggies/shrimp to additional pans as needed. If there is more than one pan in the oven at a time, cook time will be longer.Note 2: Calories will vary, depending on how much herb sauce you use for the dish.