The COUSCOUS WITH FAVA BEANS AND PEAS is an original and delightful first course, delicate but rich in flavor, perfect for a spring or summer lunch when you want fresh and light yet still nourishing dishes. It’s a cheerful dish, with an intense green color, that can be served to friends who follow a vegetarian diet and, with a few adjustments, also vegan.
The goodness of this dish lies in the particular combination of a few but interesting ingredients: arugula, with which a tasty pesto is prepared by adding almonds, oil and Parmesan, the fava beans and finally the peas. A small tip, however, that helps the dish turn out perfectly, is to perfume the broth used to prepare the couscous with the pea pods. All the aroma of vegetables and legumes, in this way, is found in the dish, since the couscous absorbs the aromas and blends them, enhancing them. Try it yourself and let me know.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups dry couscous
- 2 cups peas (weight after shelling)
- 1 1/4 cups fava beans (weight after shelling)
- cups arugula
- 6 almonds
- cup Parmesan
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste water
- to taste salt
YOU’LL NEED FOR THE COUSCOUS WITH FAVA BEANS AND PEAS
- 1 Bowl
- 2 Small saucepans
- 1 Blender
PREPARATION: COUSCOUS WITH FAVA BEANS AND PEAS
Preparing the COUSCOUS WITH FAVA BEANS AND PEAS is very easy and quick.
First, shell the peas and the fava beans. In a small saucepan place some water, a few pea pods and bring to a boil. Then turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
Place the couscous in a bowl and add the same weight of hot filtered water. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
Add a drizzle of oil, some salt and, using a fork, fluff it up.
In a small saucepan bring salted water to a boil and cook the peas for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes drain them and cook the fava beans, after removing their thin skin, for one minute.
Drain the peas and the fava beans and place them in cold water to stop the cooking and fix their color.
Put the arugula in a blender with the unpeeled almonds, the Parmesan, salt, plenty of oil and a splash of water.
Blend everything until you obtain a smooth sauce.
Once all the ingredients are ready, pour them into the bowl with the couscous, add another drizzle of oil, adjust the salt if necessary and mix well.
Cover and place the couscous with fava beans and peas in the fridge for 1 hour, so that all the flavors meld together perfectly.
TIPS
To give the dish an extra burst of flavor you can add grated Pecorino in shavings or include other spring vegetables such as asparagus.
