Israeli Couscous with Pesto, Tomatoes, and White Beans
by: Three Many Cooks
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium-large onion, chopped
- 1 can whole artichoke hearts (14 ounces) drained and quartered or 1 box (9 ounces) frozen artichokes, thawed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted
- 1 can (16 ounces) small white beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup prepared pesto
- ½ cup medium-diced smoked mozzarella
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note above)
Instructions
- Following package instructions, cook couscous in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes; continue to cook until tomatoes start to soften, a few minutes longer. Add beans; cook until heated through. Stir in couscous and then pesto. Off heat, stir in mozzarella and pine nuts. Serve.
Notes
You can use regular couscous in this dish, but if you’ve never tried Israeli couscous, look for it. It’s much more widely available than it used to be. This pearl-shaped pasta offers interesting texture. Plus it’s toasted, making it much more flavorful. To quickly toast the pine nuts, place them in a small skillet over low heat and cook, shaking the pan or stirring them often, until lightly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. This time of year many of us have fresh basil around. If so, use a little for garnish.
I love couscous- this looks great!
Gluten intolerant here. Do you think rice would make a good substitute for the couscous?
Linda, me too. I am going to try it with quinoa.
Perfect timing for me and sounds wonderful. I have a friend who has recently declared her love for all things artichoke and I know she is a cheese lover. My very first cherry tomatoes (and yellow pear) are ripe in the yard. I’m going to make this recipe and take it to her for lunch. Thank you!