Surprisingly, this couscous recipe has its origins in Italy. I was in Sicily, deep in the land of linguini, when out came couscous as part of our meal. "Couscous?" I thought. "That's Moroccan, not Italian." Well, it turns out that every invading army passing through Sicily left a bit of its cuisine behind. And couscous, despite the exotic name, is actually a tiny, beadlike pasta. I love it because it's easy to prepare-no huge pots of boiling water necessary, just a little steam or hot broth and, in 10 minutes, voila! It's also so soft and delicious in the mouth, like a gentle massage. Pistachios are my secret ingredient here. Most people think of them as something you only see at a ballgame or in ice cream, but their buttery texture, great vitamin content, and wonderful pale green coloring make them a great choice anytime. I love to put a dollop of Sweet and Savory Yogurt (page 189) on top of this dish. This recipe works beautifully with a drizzle of Moroccan Pesto (page 186).
Yield serves 6
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Spread the pistachios in an even layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until aromatic and slightly browned. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the couscous and boiling broth in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Add the cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and stir and fluff with a fork. Spread the couscous on a sheet pan, rake with a fork, and let cool to room temperature.
- Combine the couscous, mint, scallions, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, raisins, and pistachios and mix well, then do a FASS check. You may need to add a pinch or two of salt, a squeeze of lemon, or a dash of olive oil to balance the flavors.
- Make this a meal in a bowl by adding 1 cup of cooked chickpeas when you stir everything together.
- This dish benefits from being made ahead of time. The flavor deepens as it sits.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
- (per serving)
- Calories: 265
- Total Fat: 10.3g (1.3g saturated, 5.9g monounsaturated)
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Protein: 7g
- Fiber: 6g
- Sodium: 435mg
There are no comments yet!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love