Couscous pesto is a combination of couscous and pesto, with couscous being a semolina dish, and pesto often referring to a classic Italian sauce made with basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, olive oil, and seasonings. However, pesto sauce may differ from one recipe to the other in terms of use of distinct ingredients like cilantro, onions, sun dried tomatoes, and red bell pepper. Couscous is boiled in water and then combined with pesto sauce to prepare couscous based pesto, which is popularly served with grilled meat.
Popular Couscous Pesto Recipes
A few popular couscous pesto recipes have been discussed below:
- Couscous with red bell pepper and green pesto- this couscous pesto is prepared with green pesto, red bell peppers, onions, sun dried tomatoes, and olive oil. It is the use of green basil and green garlic which helps in imparting a green color to the pesto. Couscous is boiled in water and then combined with chopped sun dried tomatoes, green pesto, and sautéed mix of onions and red bell pepper to prepare the couscous based pesto.
- Couscous with basil and pine nuts based pesto- couscous is added to boiling water, along with salt and butter, and then combined with warm basil and pine nuts based pesto, prepared by blending and cooking together garlic, olive oil, basil, and pine nuts. The entire couscous and basil pesto mix is tossed with parmesan cheese before serving.
- Couscous with cilantro pesto- toasted walnuts are blended along with chopped cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and salt to prepare the cilantro pesto, which is combined with boiled couscous and served with tomatoes and Halloumi (firm, salty, and chewy cheese made with goat’s milk) slices.
Serving Couscous Based Pesto
- Couscous based pesto can be served warm along with grilled chicken or fish.
- It can be served cold in the form of salad.
Couscous and Pesto Nutrition Facts
Couscous pesto is harnessed with the nutrients of couscous and pesto, with 157 g of couscous providing around 176 calories, obtained from 8 mg of sodium, 36 g of carbohydrates, and 6 g of protein. The classic Italian basil pesto sauce is rich in fats, carbohydrates, and protein.
