Ingredients
Method
Make the Pesto
- In a food processor, combine 60g basil, 30g pine nuts, 40g Parmesan, 2 garlic cloves, 3g salt, and 1g black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, then slowly drizzle in 80ml olive oil while the processor runs until smooth. Add 15ml lemon juice and pulse just to combine; don’t overblend, or the pesto can warm up and lose freshness.
Prepare Couscous
- Bring 450ml vegetable stock, 30ml olive oil, and 6g salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in 300g couscous once, cover tightly, and let stand 5 minutes off heat.
Fluff Couscous
- Uncover and fluff thoroughly with a fork, breaking clumps and separating grains. Pay attention to the edges, which can be drier—pull them into the center as you fluff.
Combine with Pesto
- Add pesto to the warm couscous and toss gently but thoroughly until every grain is coated. The couscous should be warm enough to help pesto spread, but not so hot that basil darkens; if it’s steaming aggressively, fluff for 1 minute first to release heat.
Garnish and Serve
- Transfer to a serving bowl and top with 30g cherry tomatoes, 20g shaved Parmesan, and 15g torn basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Pesto quality depends on temperature and mixing time. Overblending warms the basil and can darken the color and flatten the aroma. Pulse, then drizzle oil slowly, and stop as soon as it’s smooth.
Warm couscous helps pesto distribute evenly. Cold couscous makes pesto clump and streak. If you’re serving later, reserve a spoonful of pesto (optional) and fold it in right before serving to refresh the flavor.
Salt control matters because Parmesan brings salt and the couscous is already salted. Taste after mixing before adding any extra salt. It’s much easier to adjust with a squeeze of lemon (optional) than to fix over-salting.
Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days. Let come closer to room temp before serving; cold dulls basil and thickens olive oil.