With the exception of using Tatume squash instead of zucchini, this meal is spicy and resembles stuffed zucchini. A distinctive and savory twist on stuffed zucchini is created by the minor flavor distinction between the Tatume squash and zucchini. The meal gets more zing from the hot chilies. a complete meal!
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 35 mins |
| Servings: | 2 |
| Yield: | 2 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
Instructions
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add Israeli couscous. Toast couscous until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly pour in boiling water. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until couscous is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until starting to soften, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add asparagus and a pinch of salt; saute until asparagus is tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Stir lemon zest into the asparagus in the last few minutes of cooking. Add cooked couscous and toss with the asparagus mixture. Stir in lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
Reviews
10.29.19 Spent the day doing yard work, and just wasn’t up to doing anything too involved for dinner and too lazy to even go out for dinner. Looked in the freezer and found some roasted garlic chicken sausage, so knew that was going on the grill. There were some cooked apples that I made yesterday sitting in the fridge, so I wanted to style up this simple meal with a nice (and easy) side dish. I had some fresh asparagus, always have Israeli couscous in the pantry, a nice fresh lemon, and then I remembered I’d saved this recipe to try in the future. It was absolutely perfect for this simple meal, and on its own, is very easy to make. We like our asparagus crisp tender, so I wanted to be sure not to overcook it. It will cook a bit more from residual heat when mixed in with the hot couscous, so just be careful to not overcook (nothing worse than mushy asparagus). The shallot adds something a little special, the lemon zest and juice brightens the flavor, and just takes it over the top. Thanks for sharing this really tasty recipe, it definitely deserves a 5-star rating!