The savory couscous cheesecake with pears and walnuts served in individual glasses is a delightful aperitif or starter to surprise your guests. A refined cheesecake made of three rich and tasty layers: a savory couscous base with sun-dried tomatoes and capers; a delicate cream of ricotta and spreadable cheese, garnished with caramelized pears and chopped walnuts, all accompanied by a crunchy Parmesan crisp. Easy to prepare, you can make this cheesecake well in advance to impress friends and family.
Try also:
Mini cheesecakes with Parmesan and crunchy vegetables
Parmesan and sun-dried tomato crisps
10 tasty appetizers for autumn
For more tasty ideas, I recommend the collection Recipes with couscous
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Couscous
- 1/3 cup Boiling water
- 4 Sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tsp Capers
- 3 oz Spreadable cheese
- 2/3 cup Ricotta
- to taste salt and pepper
- 1 Pear
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 oz Grated Parmesan (about 1/3 cup)
- 5 Walnuts
Tools
- Chopper
Preparation
To make the savory couscous cheesecake with pears and walnuts, place the couscous in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Cover with a lid and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then use a fork to fluff the couscous.
Place the sun-dried tomatoes and capers in the chopper. Run the chopper and process until finely chopped. Pour the sun-dried tomato and caper paste into the bowl with the couscous and mix with a spoon to combine.
Spoon the couscous into two glasses and compact it by pressing with the back of a teaspoon to form the cheesecake base.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta with the spreadable cheese until you obtain a smooth cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put the cream into a piping bag (without a tip) and fill the glasses, placing the cream over the couscous base and leveling well with the back of a teaspoon. Chill the cheesecakes in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Warm a nonstick skillet over low heat, then sprinkle the grated Parmesan in the pan and, using the back of a spoon (or a spatula), form two discs. When the cheese has melted and begins to brown, remove the pan from the heat and carefully transfer the Parmesan crisps to a plate, trying not to break them.
Wash and core the pear, then cut the flesh into small cubes. Put the pear cubes into the same pan used for the Parmesan crisps (do not clean the pan), so the pear can pick up some of the Parmesan flavor.
Sauté the pear in the pan for a couple of minutes, then add the honey. Cook over low heat until you obtain an amber-colored syrup. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Remove the cheesecakes from the fridge and garnish with coarsely chopped walnuts, the caramelized pears and one Parmesan crisp per glass. Serve and enjoy!
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