Roasted Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous Pilaf is a quick, easy Mediterranean dish. Tossed with fresh mint, kalamata olives, and sliced almonds.
I’ve made Roasted Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous Pilaf pretty much once a week since first discovering it in one of those bargain-priced cookbooks that Barnes and Noble features inside their “foyer” with a themed collection of recipes, this one being 28 Days of Clean Eating. After reading the recipe’s ingredient list, what’s not to love?
Toasty-roasted butternut squash, kalamata olives, fresh mint, sliced almonds, coconut oil, and lemon zest. All tossed with Israeli or pearl couscous, which if you haven’t tried this jumbo sized couscous before, here is the perfect dish for diving in. It’s a quick and easy recipe; let me tell you about it…
First, and important is the roasted squash- Two pounds of chunked butternut gets tossed with some coconut oil (fabulous!), cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper before going in the oven. The coconut oil adds the perfect bit of light sweetness and the spice combination is spot on warm but bright at the same time; into the oven until it begins to caramelize at the edges. A few times, I forgot to toss during baking and one side got kind of black… still tasty!
While the butternut squash is roasting, the Israeli couscous is toasted with some garlic and then boiled till tender. The couscous is ready to go pretty much at the same time the squash is ready.
The addition of fresh mint, Kalamata olives, toasted sliced almonds, and lemon zest bring everything together in both flavor and texture. Truly a perfect Mediterranean dish that works as a side to chicken or salmon, we love it as a main dish. And leftovers, if you have any, are great at room temperature or reheated.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous Pilaf is so easy and will become irresistible, maybe you should keep some squash cut up in the freezer, and a box of couscous on hand. If you’re wanting a gluten-free dish, substitute the couscous with cooked quinoa. Top the pilaf with a little crumbled feta cheese for even more fabulous flavor and if you’re interested in even more color and added crunch, toss in a chopped red bell pepper right before serving. I’m hungry for this just as I’m writing so good thing I took my own advice and I’ve got all the ingredients in my kitchen right now. Enjoy, friends. And thanks for stopping by… it really means a lot. xo
Roasted Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous Pilaf
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, divided, plus additional for greasing the pan
- 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 ½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper, divided, preferably fresh ground
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 8 ounces Israeli couscous, also known as pearled couscous
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, halved (more if you like)
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475F degrees, with oven rack in middle position. Coat a rimmed baking sheet lightly with coconut oil.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons coconut oil in the microwave. Set aside. In a small bowl combine 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cumin, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Pour the melted coconut oil over the squash (By melting the coconut oil, it will coat the butternut squash fully but if the squash is cold, the oil will start to harden after added. That's totally fine because it's now on all the squash before turning hard). Immediately add the spice mixture from the small bowl, so the seasonings coat all the squash before the coconut oil hardens, if it's going to. Toss to fully coat the squash.
- Turn out the coated butternut squash on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Stir and toss the squash a bit at the 10 minute mark to prevent burning.
- While the butternut squash is roasting, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces couscous and 3 minced garlic; sauté for 1 minute.
- Stir in 2 cups water and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup olives, ¼ cup mint, ½ cup almonds, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and roasted butternut squash. Toss well to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately. Leftovers keep well in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from 28 Days of Clean Eating.
This is an easy 5 star recipe! I wanted to throw in some artichokes hearts, so the water from the can was used to make up the water to cook the couscous. Really enjoyed it!
Couscous is my favorite! I will make this again, it is an excellent and filling meal.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! The squash and olives go great together. Thanks for the idea Sally, I will be making this a lot more 🙂
I was a liiitle bit skeptical of this recipe but also bored enough with butternut squash to try something new. This was really delicious—the cayenne was just the right amount of heat. Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you Wendy! This is my family’s favorite recipe using butternut squash. I’m so glad you tried it and liked it, too! 🙂
I made this for a potluck at Thanksgiving and everyone raved about it so now I’m taking it to a potluck Christmas dinner! It was both awesome and unique! Glad I tried it.
Susan, the same thing happens to me when I make it for people. It’s so flavorful and unique. I’ve never had anyone not love it. Thanks so much for making it and for taking the time to comment.
This sounds really a new recipe to my ears. It look so delicious and procedure look so easy to follow, thanks for sharing this recipe with us I will definitely try this.
OMg, this one is a winner. I would love to try making this. My husband would this for sure.
This looks heavenly! And it’s healthy. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
This looks so delicious, thanks for sharing, I will definitely have to try this recipe!
~xo Sheree
poshclassymom.com
Thanks Sheree! I hope you give it a try. We really love it. 🙂
This is such a great recipe! I just when a dish has a blend of strong flavors. I will definitely be trying this one out. You can never have too many side dish recipes, am I right?!
Thanks Priscilla! Agreed, good side dish recipes are always a good thing. This one is great because it works as a side and as a meatless main. Thanks for stopping by!
This looks great! I love Healthy recipes and especially ones that are easy enough for busy week nights. I’m sure my kids will like it too 🙂
Great for adults and kids alike! I hope they like it, too. Thanks for taking the time to comment. :*
This looks and sounds so tasty! I love recipes that seem managable as I’m not exactly a masterchef, I’m also always in a hurry. I pinned this recipe as well and am looking forwards to trying it!
Namra, this recipe is very easy. I think you’ll like it.
I made this for a potluck at Thanksgiving and everyone raved about it so now I’m taking it to a potluck Christmas dinner! It was both awesome and unique! Glad I tried it.
Oh my goodness, this looks so good! I’ve been needing more healthy recipes, so I’ll give this a try!
Thanks Heather! This is a good one, hope you like it. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I love all of the ingredients that have gone into this! It looks both delicious and healthy.
Thanks Sarah. It’s become a favorite regular in our house.