Ready for an easy and quick summer recipe? The couscous with prawns, peas and Genovese pesto is very easy to prepare and very quick because we’ll use frozen peas and small prawns to cook in a pan and flavor with a bit of chopped onion. I made this dish for the first time a few weeks ago and fell in love with it. The aroma of fresh basil pesto gives that extra touch of flavor to the couscous.
I’m sure that before the end of the summer I’ll prepare other couscous recipes so I can share more easy and quick variations like this one. If you enjoy cold dishes, I recommend not missing the collection of easy, quick and delicious pasta and cold dish recipes to enjoy during the summer! Below you’ll find some recipes; each link is clickable and will take you to the recipe you choose to read.
I suggest trying the cold rice with tuna and zucchini, or the more classic rice salad or my weekly cold pasta salad. There are also two chickpea recipes to enjoy cold!
I made a video recipe for the couscous with prawns, peas and Genovese pesto which you can find below the first photo. You can follow the recipe step by step to prepare it with me.
Before moving on to the recipe, I remind you that I wait for you every morning in the Facebook group and fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day! A must-see appointment for the whole community to start the day with a sweet or savory treat!
Now let’s move on to the couscous with peas, prawns and Genovese pesto recipe!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Summer
- Energy 274.75 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 33.49 (g) of which sugars 2.76 (g)
- Proteins 20.61 (g)
- Fat 6.66 (g) of which saturated 0.36 (g)of which unsaturated 0.06 (g)
- Fibers 3.38 (g)
- Sodium 249.55 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for couscous with prawns
- 1 cup dry couscous
- 9 oz small prawns
- 2/3 cup peas (frozen)
- 3 1/3 tbsp Genovese pesto
- as needed onion (finely chopped)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 cup water
Tips for preparing couscous: respecting the proportion of water to couscous is very important. If the amount of water is not well proportioned to the couscous you will end up with a mush instead of a well-separated couscous perfect for seasoning with the ingredients you like most. If you increase the amount of couscous remember to increase the amount of water proportionally. Example: if you prepare 300 grams of couscous you should use 600 ml of water.
Tools to prepare couscous with prawns, peas and Genovese pesto
- 2 Pans
- 1 Bowl
- 2 Spoons
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopper
Steps for the couscous with prawns, peas and Genovese pesto recipe
We begin preparing the couscous by bringing the amount of water almost to a boil. When the water is hot, pour it into a bowl with the couscous, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some salt. Cover with a tea towel or a lid and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the other two ingredients to season the couscous. Take a cutting board and finely chop half an onion. Put a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion on the stovetop. Then add the prawns and let them cook for about 20 minutes; they should turn nice and pink. Then let them cool completely.
Meanwhile, also prepare the peas. Take another pan and sauté a little onion in some oil. Add the peas still frozen and let them cook for about 10 minutes, without letting them overcook. If necessary, add a little broth or water. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
Now for the basil pesto. Take a small chopper, put in some fresh basil leaves, add pine nuts and extra virgin olive oil. Turn on the chopper and make a creamy, tasty pesto. Set it aside.
When all the ingredients are cool you can proceed. If you chose a deep, large bowl for the couscous you can do it like this: stir the couscous with a spoon before adding the other ingredients. Then add the prawns, then the peas and finally the Genovese pesto. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper if needed and, if desired, add more extra virgin olive oil.
Mix all the ingredients well so that the couscous absorbs the flavors and becomes irresistible. You are finally ready to serve the couscous with prawns, peas and Genovese pesto.
I can only wish you a good meal and remind you that I wait for you every day here on my cooking blog with many easy, quick and delicious recipes like this one!
Tips and variations for the recipe:
Main tips: as already mentioned, pay attention to the amount of water and couscous. Be careful not to overcook the frozen peas during cooking. The same goes for the prawns: they should not become too tough and dry. For the Genovese pesto, if you have a mortar you can prepare it with that instead of using the chopper.
Main variations of the recipe: you can replace the peas with chickpeas or beans if you prefer. You can buy Genovese pesto ready-made if you don’t have the time or wish to prepare it yourself. Just be careful that it is not too garlicky, since I didn’t even add garlic to avoid overpowering the other aromas.
