Roasted butternutsquash with pearl couscous

A dish that tastes pure bliss and looks so good. The roasted butternut squash slices with lightly caramelized edges look beautiful and contrast with couscous. I love the texture of pearl couscous, but you can also use regular couscous. Butternut squash tastes amazing with middle eastern flavors and spices. Salty feta cheese and sweet squash together make you come back for more.

I left the skin on while slicing the squash to save time and give a different look to the dish. It made styling much more effortless as the shape of the butternut squash slices was intact after roasting. It doesn’t affect the taste.

You could add tahini and lemon dressing to make it more interesting. Make this next time for a middle eastern inspired gathering/meal, and it will surely be the star attraction. 

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• Butternut squash one medium-sized
• Feta cheese 2-3 tbsp
• Pearl couscous 200 gms
• Honey 1 tbsp
• Sumac ¼ tsp
• Garlic 1 clove
• Chickpeas 100 gms
• Chili flakes ¼ tsp
• Walnuts and pepitas 
• Olive oil
• Thyme a few sprigs

Method

1. Slice the butternut squash and lay them in a single layer on a lined baking tray.
2. Add some olive oil, sumac, salt, and pepper. Roast them in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for  10-15   minutes turning the slices halfway through.
3. Roast the chickpeas in the same or a different pan with the same spices and oil.
4. Drizzle some honey once the butternut squash slices are cooked through.
5. Cook the couscous as per instructions on the packet.
6. I toss the cooked and cooled couscous in garlic olive oil to prevent them from forming clusters.
7. Arrange the roasted squash slices over the couscous, and top it with crumbled feta, walnuts, pepitas, chili flakes, and thyme.