Couscous ai frutti di mare

Couscous, a popular alternative to rice and pasta, is a grain made by rolling durum wheat flour with salted water to form tiny granules. In North African cuisines it is a basic staple that is traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew. The texture of couscous is somewhat fluffy, and it soaks up the flavors of other ingredients making it a very easy and versatile accompaniment to many types of dishes. Preparing couscous with a typically Italian seafood sauce is actually not as far-fetched as it may seem, because these light fluffy grains spread to Sicily and beyond already in the Middle Ages. By the mid 16th century couscous was known in other parts of Italy, too. Compared to pasta, couscous provides you with less protein but has slightly less calories, and when it comes to minerals, there are only marginal differences.

Ingredients: 

2.5 dl/ 1 cup water

olive oil

salt to taste

250 gr/ 9 oz couscous

a piece of butter

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

280 gr/ 10 oz tomatoes

1.5 dl/ 2/3 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

fresh flat leaf parsley

500 gr/ 17 2/3 oz seafood mix

200 gr/ 7 oz frozen peas

Instructions: 

Pour 2.5 dl or 1 cup of water into a pan, add a bit of olive oil and salt, and bring to a boil. Take the pan from the heat and add the couscous grains. Stir very well and let the couscous stand for about 2 minutes. Add the butter and reheat the couscous over a medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan and saute the onion and garlic until the onion softens. Add the chopped tomatoes and reduce the heat. Let the tomatoes simmer for about 10 minutes. Then, season with salt and pepper, parsley, and add the wine and the seafood mixture. Let the sauce simmer for further 10-15 minutes. Add the frozen peas almost at the end. Check the taste and add some seasoning, if necessary. Serve this dish hot, or alternative you might let it cool down for a few minutes.