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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Cookish

Toasted Pearl Couscous with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

4 Servings

40 minutes

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Toasting pearl couscous before cooking it with liquid brings out the pasta’s wheaty, nutty notes and an enticing aroma. In this recipe, we pair the couscous with butternut squash for creamy texture and subtle sweetness, then add pops of flavor with caraway seeds, dried fruits (including sun-dried tomatoes) and toasted nuts. Serve as a vegetarian main or as a side to roasts or kebabs.

4

Servings

40 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¼

    cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1

    cup pearl couscous

Reviews
Leticia M.
October 2, 2023
Great potluck dish!
Really loved how easy this came together.
Diana L.
February 8, 2023
I dont know if I liked it or not
My family did not say if it was good or bad. It's certainly different. I only added 2 cups of water because per couscous package it stated for 1 cup of couscous add 1 1/2 of water. I am glad I only added 2 cups because it would have been all mushy and watery. I cooked for 10 min. A little bit of water was left, and couscous was cooked. I took it off then let it stand for another 10-15 min covered.
Neil H.
June 4, 2024
Good flavors but something is off with the ratios
The taste of this is pretty decent. The caraway is sometimes a bit strong and I may knock it back just a pinch next time, but overall it's good. Except for the water. As another reviewer commented, 3 cups would give you a rather loose soup. This is cooked covered so there's no where for the excess moisture to go. I used 2 cups water instead, and at 12 minutes when the squash and couscous were cooked perfectly there was still copious water in the pot. Cooked it uncovered another couple of minutes to burn off the excess water, which worked, but left squash a tad overdone. Should be easy to dial in the water and process from here, but as written this recipe needs some work.
Amy B.

Made as written and it was fantastic but there are no apricots in it.

Lynn C.

Hi Amy and Susan - You're right, there is a typo in the title. This recipe actually has dried cranberries or cherries. We are so sorry for the mixup. Our digital team is going to change the title ASAP. Thanks for pointing out the error to us!

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Steve M.

This was fantastic. I didn't have and don't particularly like caraway seeds so I used anise. Still great.

Anne K.

The couscous is still pretty tough. Was I supposed to cook prior to sautéing?

Lynn C.

Hi Anne -

After the couscous is browned in the skillet, 3 cups of water is added and the couscous gets simmered for 10 to 14 more minutes. Did you continue with the recipe and follow those instructions?

Best,
The Milk Street Team


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