Sun-dried tomato pesto, Parmesan, and couscous pair superbly with roasted walnuts, sautéed onion, mushrooms, and garlic. To make a full supper, if desired, mix in cooked chicken and additional vegetables. Shelled edamame is a frequent addition for an increase in plant-based protein.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 50 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup pecan pieces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ cups quartered fresh button mushrooms
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 (5.8 ounce) box couscous
- 1 (8.5 ounce) bottle sun-dried tomato pesto
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Spread the pecan pieces onto a baking sheet and place in a cold oven.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to begin roasting the pecans. Roast until aromatic, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the melted butter until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Return the skillet to the heat. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in the skillet. Stir the water into the butter; bring to a boil. Put the couscous in a glass bowl; pour the butter and water mixture over the couscous. Immediately cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit until the couscous absorbs all of the moisture, 7 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir the toasted pecans, the mushroom mixture, the pesto, and Parmesan cheese through the couscous. Season with salt and pepper to serve.
- If tomato pesto doesn’t have pine nuts, add 1/4 cup pine nuts, roasted.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 471 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 19 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 222 mg |
| Sugars | 5 g |
| Fat | 31 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Pretty good, the pecan and the mushroom bits were really nice. I’ll make again but probably substitute rucola pesto, red pepper pesto or maybe some more oriental sauce for the red pesto. Might add chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the mix though.
I like this recipe with a few changes. I use quinoa cooked in veggie broth instead of couscous. I go easy on the tomato pesto and I use white cheddar melted on top instead of the parmesan. The pecans work really well!
Loved this recipe. For a complete meal, I would add chicken or shrimp. Recipe is very versatile for mixed company (vegetarian, if not add meat). I used half of the recommended tomato pesto and added julienne sun dried tomatoes. Oh! Pecans should only be in for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. At full 20 it was already burnt.
This is packed with flavor. I used olive oil instead of butter.
Wow, I haven’t had a winner like this in awhile. I had lots of homemade sundried tomatoes so I made my own pesto with a cup of sun dried tomatoes, 1 cup of fresh basil leaves and 1 clove garlic. I mixed it in my mini food processor. I am going to make this at least once a month. I may add zucchini next time.
Just made this last night, it was wonderful! Could only find the pesto in a 8.1 size and made it work. Also added some yellow squash that I had to use up. I didn’t bother to measure anything but the cooking of the couscous, just whatever veggies and how much needed I liked. Didn’t think the pecans belonged with this recipe, but did it anyway and they added a wonderful texture and crunch. Sprinkled the parmesan on top of each serving. Can’t wait to make it again!!
Love this! Just fixed it and will fix again for sure. I, too, burned the pecans and had to bake a second batch. Too bad I didn’t read the reviews first! :-). Very easy recipe. Loved the combination of ingredients.
only used half the pesto, and that was plenty
I could only find spicy sun dried tomato paste and it was WAY too spicy. Otherwise it was very yummy.
this was ok. it was kind of bland for my taste.
This was perhaps the most successful meal with my new vegetarian family yet! My wife and step daughter want it weekly so I will probably make it monthly. What a fantastic combination of ingredients. Watch the pecans though. They cook very fast and burn very easily. I had to cook 2 batches of pecans b/c they burned based on the cooking time.
This is pretty good, though there’s a tang in the pesto that is a little off to my taste. I was wary about the pecans but they were the best part! Glad I didn’t leave them out. I did leave out the mushrooms, as I’m not a fan, and I didn’t use an entire onion either (maybe 1/3). I’ll be sure to make it again.