Butternut squash and basil together is such a tasty combination—truly a match made in flavour heaven! This recipe for baked pearl couscous and butternut squash with basil tahini is a cozy but still vibrant vegan dinner that’s mostly done in one 9×13 baking dish in the oven. Squash roasts with shallots, garlic, and spices until tender before pearl couscous, chickpeas, and hot vegetable stock are added. The dish bubbles away in the oven while you quickly blend up a creamy basil tahini sauce for drizzling. Stir in some spinach to wilt at the end, add a touch of zingy lemon, and dinner is served!
This warm baked pearl couscous recipe is kind of fun to make! It all happens in one baking dish for the most part, which I always appreciate. I love the combination of slightly sweet squash with peppery basil. It’s perfect for when the transition over to Fall. We really go in with the seasoning and complimentary flavours here: shallots, garlic, smoked paprika, za’atar, and some lemon at the end. I also add chickpeas for some plant-based protein.
What is pearl couscous made of?
- Pearl couscous, also called Israeli couscous, is made out of toasted semolina flour and water.
- It was invented in Israel in the 1950’s in an effort to feed an influx of immigrants as a temporary substitute for rice.
- Pearl couscous is not a grain and it does contain gluten.
- I would describe it as a grain-like relative of pasta that’s shaped into tiny spheres. The toasting of the semolina gives it a slightly nutty flavour that is delicious in salads, soups, and bakes like this.
To make our recipe, you start by roasting the squash with shallots, garlic, and spices. Once the squash is tender (about 25 minutes), we add the pearl couscous, chickpeas, and boiled vegetable stock into the same dish. I cover that tightly with foil and put it back into the oven. Once the baked pearl couscous is tender (about 20 minutes), you’re good to go. During the second bake, we whizz up the basil tahini sauce in the blender.
To finish, I stir in baby spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice until the spinach is slightly wilted. Serve it all together with drizzles of sauce and some extra chopped basil if you like! This bake makes excellent next-day lunches as well–just keep the bake and sauce separate, and reheat the bake with a splash of water or more vegetable stock. I love serving this with pickled red onions for a little extra punch. There are tons of recipes for them online!
Fans of this may also like my creamy vegan orzo risotto with butternut squash and brussels sprouts or these butternut coconut noodles with greens and herbs.
Baked Pearl Couscous & Butternut Squash with Basil Tahini
A hearty and tasty vegan supper that comes together in a 9×13 pan in the oven, this baked pearl couscous and butternut squash with basil tahini is flavourful and simple to make. Finished with lemon, chopped spinach, toasted pine nuts for crunch, and a creamy basil tahini sauce.
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
Baked Pearl Couscous & Squash:
- 1 large large shallot, sliced
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces (about 5 cups chopped squash)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon za’atar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups pearl couscous
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Basil Tahini
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 green onions, rough chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup water
To serve
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- pickled red onions, optional
Notes
- Squash is mellow and pearl couscous loves to soak up seasoning. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper in both the squash roasting stage and the vegetable stock adding phase.
- I’ve tried versions of this without boiling the stock separately and it just doesn’t cook up quite right. Sorry for the extra step/dishes!
- If there’s a vegan feta that you love, it would be absolutely delicious crumbled on top of the finished bake.
- Any toasted nut/seed that you like would be delicious on top of this recipe.
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 425°F. Set out a 9×13-inch baking dish.
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To the baking dish, add the shallot, squash, olive oil, garlic, za’atar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss everything to coat and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until squash is soft and caramelized a bit on the edges, stirring it up at the halfway point.
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Near the end of the 30 minute roast, bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a small saucepan.
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Once the 30 minutes are up, remove the baking dish from the oven. Add the boiling stock, pearl couscous, chickpeas, and a fat pinches of salt and pepper directly to the dish. Gently stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with foil and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes, or until the couscous is soft and the liquid is totally absorbed.
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While the second bake is happening, make the basil tahini. In an upright blender, combine the tahini, green onions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and water. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
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Remove the finished bake from the oven and take the foil off the top. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and baby spinach. Keep stirring until the spinach is slightly wilted.
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Serve the baked couscous and squash hot with toasted pine nuts, pickled red onions, and drizzles of the basil tahini on top. Enjoy!
