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Zucchini with Tomato, Pearl Couscous and Mint
In this dish, tender, silky slices of zucchini (and/or yellow summer squash) find a delicious partner in satisfyingly chewy pearl couscous coated with a mixture of well browned tomato paste and garlic. Caramelizing the paste enhances its umami and savory-sweet notes for big, bold depth of flavor. Fresh herb(s) and lemon wedges for squeezing bring brightness and balance. Serve this as a side to kebabs, roasts or grilled meats or seafood, or turn it into a light meal by serving a salad alongside.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t stir the zucchini for the first five minutes after adding the slices to the skillet. Undisturbed cooking allows the zucchini to brown nicely. Thereafter, stir occasionally to facilitate even cooking.
35 minutes
Ingredients
-
¾
cup pearl couscous
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
-
01In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the couscous and ¼ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under running cold water until cool to the touch, then drain again; set aside in the colander.
Reviews
January 1, 2026
Great as a summer side
Have made this several times now and love it as a side dish. Even better when the weather is warm and you can grill zucchini instead of cooking in a pan. The mint and lemon really elevate it — dinner party guests loved this dish.
June 18, 2025
Great with lemon!
Finished it off the next day. . . ate it cold with fresh lemon squeezed on it! Really good. Would tear the mint leaves into slightly smaller pieces. Also it took me a lot longer than 5 minutes to brown the zucchini.
August 23, 2022
Big Taste and Flavor!
Eats like a main dish to me. Great vegetarian option.
June 29, 2022
Delicious!
Lots of flavour for so few ingredients. The lemon is a nice touch. Would be great alongside grilled meats. I made this as a quick lunch and it was great as a light main. Maybe double the recipe for 4 people..the recipe was perfect for 2 of us.
April 6, 2026
Easy, tasty meal prep
This recipe came together well and was easy to scale up just a tad to make 3+ days of meal prep for two people, paired with harissa roasted salmon
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It had too many steps and it did not taste good at all. No flavor. I would just cook the couscous 3/4 cup in 1-3/4 cup of water, so you don't have to drain it (again it's an extra step you do not need).