Butternut squash and basil together is such a tasty combinationโtruly a match made in flavor heaven! This recipe for baked pearl couscous and butternut squash with basil tahini is a cozy but still vibrant vegan dinner thatโs mostly done in one 9ร13 baking dish in the oven. The slightly sweet, herbaceous, and zingy flavor notes absolutely sing! The dish bubbles away in the oven while you blend up a creamy basil tahini sauce for drizzling over the top.
This warm baked pearl couscous recipe is kind of fun to make! We really go in with the seasoning and complimentary flavors here: shallots, garlic, smoked paprika, zaโatar, and fresh lemon. I also add chickpeas for extra oomph.
This bake makes excellent next-day lunches as well. Just keep the bake and sauce separate, and reheat the bake with a splash of water or more vegetable stock. The leftovers honestly remind me of a chilled grain salad. I love serving this with pickled red onions for a little extra punch.
Fans of this dish and flavor combo may also like my butternut coconut noodles with greens and herbs.
Baked Pearl Couscous & Butternut Squash with Basil Tahini
Ingredients
Baked Pearl Couscous & Squash:
- 1 large shallot, sliced
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces (about 5 cups chopped squash)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon zaโatar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 ยฝ cups pearl couscous
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 ยฝ cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Basil Tahini
- ยผ cup tahini
- 2 green onions, rough chopped
- โ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ยผ cup water
To serve
- ยผ cup pine nuts, toasted
- pickled red onions, optional
Equipment
Notes
- Squash is mellow and pearl couscous loves to soak up seasoning. Donโt be shy with the salt and pepper in both the squash roasting stage and the vegetable stock adding phase.
- If thereโs a vegan feta that you love, it would be absolutely delicious crumbled on top of the finished bake.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425ยฐF. Set out a 9ร13-inch baking dish.
- To the baking dish, add the shallot, squash, olive oil, garlic, zaโatar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss everything to coat and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until squash is soft and caramelized a bit on the edges, stirring it up at the halfway point.
- Near the end of the 30 minute roast, bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Once the 30 minutes are up, remove the baking dish from the oven. Add the boiling stock, pearl couscous, chickpeas, and a fat pinches of salt and pepper directly to the dish. Gently stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with foil and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes, or until the couscous is soft and the liquid is totally absorbed.
- While the second bake is happening, make the basil tahini. In an upright blender, combine the tahini, green onions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and water. Blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Remove the finished bake from the oven and take the foil off the top. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and baby spinach. Keep stirring until the spinach is slightly wilted.
- Serve the baked couscous and squash hot with toasted pine nuts, pickled red onions, and drizzles of the basil tahini on top. Enjoy!
Hello! If I want to make this as a thanksgiving side dish, how do you suggest making it ahead? Id be bringing it to my moms, so I can cook whatever i need to there, but would like to have it all prepped before going
Hi Kay!
I would make the sauce and squash/chickpea/couscous part to completion MINUS the spinach and pickled red onions. When you get to your momโs, add a big splash of vegetable stock or water to the squash and couscous in the pan, place the chopped spinach on top, and cover with foil. Start heating it up in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil, stir in the spinach to combine/thoroughly wilt, and then finish with the pickled red onions, pine nuts, and sauce. Let me know if you have more questions!
-L
Thank you so much!
I LOVE this dish! It was very fun to make and was beautiful to look at! I followed directions without any adjustments and it was perfect!! Thanks for another great recipe!
Wow, this was perfection! The spices are spot on and the dressing is so good, great combination with the pine nuts.
I roasted the vegetables with soy sauce instead of olive oil to make it oilfree.
Thank you so much for the recipe! I will be making this again and again.
Hi Sascha!
Thanks for this kind comment and review. Love your tip for making it oil-free as well. Iโm sure lots of folks will find that helpful :D
-L
SO GOOD.
Made it for my husband and Mom, and rave reviews all around. 10/10 will make again.
This is absolutely delicious. So balanced, perfectly seasoned, and approved by a toddler and someone with morning sickness. High praise! Will be making this continually until I canโt find butternut squash anymore.
I made this with koginut squash and it was incredible! Thank you for the amazing recipes!
I made this dish yesterday because I saw it in your stories and had (nearly) all the ingridients at home.
I used hokkaido squash (itโs quite common here in Germany, I donโt know, if you know it) which doesnโt need to be peeled, I added 2 tablespoons zaโatar instead of 1 because I misread it and I omitted the spinach because I had none โ and it was a fabulous dish! Oh, and I didnโt have pine nuts so I used pecans and I love the combination with pearl couscous and chickpeas and will try it with different veggies soon (thinking of sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots).
And did I mention the sauce? Wow!! I LOVE basil and I LOVE tahini but I wouldโve never thought of putting this two together. And it turned out so so good!! Next time Iโll double the recipe!
Thank you so much for your recipes, Laura!
Iโve made this dish twice now and can tell it will be a go-to Fall meal for us. Love love love the flavours and the basil tahini dressing & pickled onions & roasted pine nuts are the perfect touches to an already delicious meal.
SO good and so inventive ! never had anything quite like this and we really enjoyed. such a good use of seasonal squash and the sauce is really everything.
This recipe is amazing! Eating some as I type. The leftovers will become work lunches โ perfect food prep recipe.
so good โ added fenugreek + cloves and a pinch of red pep to the squash. everyone loved. thanks laura!!!
YUM!! Serious 5 star recipe here. My bf and I are intentionally trying to make more yummy plant-based meals and this recipe made our intentions manifest in a highly motivating way. I was looking forward to eating the leftovers today and will absolutely be adding this to my short list for a go-to healthy and delicious dinner. As others have mentioned: double the recipe for the sauce and pour on everythiiing!
Absolutely delish & love the one pan concept. This is a clean plate club recipe & one that I will add to my Thanksgiving menu. Once again, Laura, your recipes are always packed with flavor and creativity!!! xoxo
Made this last night for dinner and it was DELICIOUS! Will definitely be putting this in my repertoire of weekly dinners.
So glad that you liked it, Laura! Thanks for leaving a comment and review here.
-L
Considering shoveling down a second bowl of this, as I type this!
This was so good, and I fill expect it to be in the meal rotation. I mean, Iโve never eaten Pearl couscous that I didnโt love, but this recipe layers on flavors beautifully.
I made extra basil tahini bc that s* is gooood, and I knew it would be from the ingredient list alone.
Oh! And I made this with sweet potatoes bc I couldnโt for the life of me find butternut squash, even though fall is just around the corner!
Great to know that the recipe worked with sweet potatoes, Kat. And I hope that you can find some squash soon :)
-L
This is so good!!
The basilic-tahini sauce pairs so well with the flavours of the baked pearl couscous and squash.
This recipe is definitely going on my regular list of meals to cook when working.
Amazing recipe! Perfect for our cold front that just rolled in. I had to stop my 3year old from drinking all the basil sauce. Wouldnโt change a thing so great all around.
Hi Laura! Huge fan of your blog and cookbook! Question about this recipe: Is there an alternative grain youโd recommend subbing in for the pearl couscous? Thanks!
Hi Tesneem,
The only 1-for-1 substitution that I feel confident recommending is orzo pasta, which is available in whole wheat and gluten-free varieties.
-L
Lauraโs recipes are always perfect exactly as written and flexible enough to work with what you have on hand. This one is no exception. It was delicious and I am looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow. (My nine year old daughter walked into the kitchen and said it smelled like Christmas while it was baking)
Korrin,
Thank you for this kind comment and review! Iโm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! It really does make nice lunch leftovers too.
-L
I love this, Korrin! Thank you so much for the kind review :)
-L
My mouth is watering for this healthy beautiful to look at dish.