Have you ever had couscous? I’m quite surprised with how many people I talk to that say they’ve never tried it! Couscous, or more specifically Pearl or Israeli couscous, are small pearl shaped pieces of pasta made from semolina flour. You see pearl couscous often used in Mediterranean dishes, but I’ve decided to make something with an Italian flavor for this dish!
When Pure Flavor approached me to try a recipe with their new Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes, a Tuscan inspired dish came to mind. Something that could really showcase the sweet flavor of these tomatoes, possibly something that would allow me to roast them so the true sweetness could really shine!
These tomatoes were the perfect ingredient for this couscous dish! Roasted to perfection and mixed with creamy mozzarella, fire roasted red peppers, and black olives; this dish will absolutely have you longing for a summer afternoon in Tuscany.
For this recipe you’ll need:
Ingredients:
Couscous:
- 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- 1 Cup Pearl Couscous
- 1 ½ Cups Chicken Broth*
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Pint Pure Flavor® Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes, halved
- 3 – 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
- ½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- Kosher Salt/Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Fire Roasted Italian Red Peppers (jarred), chopped
- ½ Cup Mozzarella Pearls
- ¼ Cup Whole Pitted Black Olives
Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoon Juice from the Italian Red Pepper Jar
- 2 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 – 4 Roasted Garlic Cloves (from the couscous)
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Kosher Salt/Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
Toppings:
- Whole Pepperoncini Peppers
- Fresh Torn Basil
A good base, that’s the key.
Food bloggers and chefs alike will tell you the key to a great recipe is a good base. A solid leading role is an absolute necessity in a good dish.
I wanted the couscous (the base of this dish) to really shine and be able to not only absorb the flavors I added, but add to them. To accomplish this, I decided to elevate the traditional chicken or vegetable broth called for in couscous recipes. I used chicken broth flavored with tomato to boil the pearls. That little bit of tomato flavor really gave the couscous a full bodied, almost less salty flavor. I highly recommend it to add a little something to your standard couscous recipe!
Make perfect tomatoes even better, roast them.
One of my favorite things to do with really great quality tomatoes is giving them a nice roast. It almost makes them even sweeter. You get this incredible bright taste that is just unforgettable.
For this dish, I drizzled these tomatoes with a little olive oil and spices, and then I tossed a few whole garlic cloves on the pan. I gently smashed each of the garlic cloves to help some of the oils spill out into the roasting pan. The garlic gets nice and soft while the tomatoes roast, making it the perfect texture for use in the light vinaigrette.
Okay, you’ve got all of the basics now. Let’s make it!
Start by prepping the tomatoes for the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Add the tomatoes, smashed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, crushed red pepper, and a light sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked black pepper to a shallow baking dish with a rim.
- Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
Now, work on the base. The couscous.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the couscous. Heat the remaining olive oil in a shallow pan over medium heat, add the couscous pearls, and gently toast for 2 – 3 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Add chicken broth and salt, stir, cover, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the couscous from the heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes has passed, place the couscous in the serving bowl to allow it to cool slightly. Gently separate the pearls with a fork a couple of times while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Prepare a light vinaigrette.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven to cool slightly and gather the softened garlic cloves from the pan.
- Add the softened garlic cloves, a light sprinkle of kosher salt, and all of the remaining vinaigrette ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth and emulsified.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to combine.
Finish it up!
- Add the roasted tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, chopped red peppers, and black olives to the couscous and gently mix. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
- Top the Tuscan Couscous with a few fresh pepperoncini peppers and torn basil leaves. Serve immediately.
This recipe will keep for 2 – 4 days in your refrigerator sealed in an air tight container.
If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to post a rating and comment!
I’d love to see your pictures on Instagram too! Tag @a_toastedcrumb and @pureflavor!
This post is sponsored by Pure Flavor®. Learn more about Pure Flavor and their commitment to supporting healthier lifestyles by visiting their website.
Tuscan Couscous
Ingredients
Couscous:
- 2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- 1 Cup Pearl Couscous
- 1 ½ Cups Chicken Broth*
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Pint PureFlavor® Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes halved
- 3 - 4 Garlic Cloves peeled and lightly smashed
- ½ Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- Kosher Salt/Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Fire Roasted Italian Red Peppers (jarred) chopped
- ½ Cup Mozzarella Pearls
- ¼ Cup Whole Pitted Black Olives
Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoon Juice from the Italian Red Pepper Jar
- 2 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 - 4 Roasted Garlic Cloves (from the couscous)
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Kosher Salt/Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Topping
- Whole Pepperoncini Peppers
- Fresh Torn Basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Add the tomatoes, smashed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, crushed red pepper, and a light sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked black pepper to a shallow baking dish with a rim.
- Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the couscous. Heat the remaining olive oil in a shallow pan over medium heat, add the couscous pearls, and gently toast for 2 – 3 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Add chicken broth and salt, stir, cover, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the couscous from the heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes has passed, place the couscous in the serving bowl to allow it to cool slightly. Gently separate the pearls with a fork a couple of times while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven to cool slightly and gather the softened garlic cloves from the pan.
- Add the softened garlic cloves, a light sprinkle of kosher salt, and all of the remaining vinaigrette ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth and emulsified.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to combine.
- Add the roasted tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, chopped red peppers, and black olives to the couscous and gently mix. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
- Top the Tuscan Couscous with a few fresh pepperoncini peppers and torn basil leaves. Serve immediately.
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