By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 5(260)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The large spherical couscous that we know as Israeli couscous actually has its origins in North Africa, where it is called muhamma. In Middle Eastern markets, you may find it labeled maghribiyya.
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves six
- 5tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1cup Israeli couscous
- Salt to taste
- 1large garlic clove (more to taste)
- 1cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3large yellow peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
- 2cups tomato purée or homemade tomato sauce
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
293 calories; 13 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 531 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Preparation
Step
1
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous. Stir until the couscous begins to color and smell toasty. Add 2 cups water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the couscous is tender. Drain.
Step
2
Turn on a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the blender jar or food processor bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the basil leaves and salt to taste. Turn on the machine, and add the remaining olive oil. Process until smooth. Add the cheese, and blend until incorporated.
Step
3
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a lidded casserole large enough to accommodate all of the peppers. Combine the couscous and pesto. Stir together. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Fill the halved peppers with this mixture, and arrange in the casserole. Pour the tomato sauce or purée into the dish. Cover and bake 45 minutes to an hour until the peppers are soft but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat, and serve hot or at room temperature, with some of the tomato sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with basil leaves.
- Advance preparation: The cooked couscous will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. The peppers can be made a day ahead and reheated or served at room temperature.
Ratings
5
out of 5
260
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Chris
In place of pesto, I used a can of diced San Marzano for 2 peppers —that worked, too. And mozzarella (instead of Parmesan) gave this a gooey, stringy goodness.
Impressive presentation for very little work.
Claire
I've made this many times now, it is one of my favorite recipes for company, as it pleases carnivores and vegetarians alike! I shortcut with prepared pesto and my favorite jarred marinara when I need to, but it's always a crowd pleaser. So simple, so delicious. Easy to prep ahead and wait to bake. You cannot go wrong with this recipe!
Ashley
This is an awesome recipe. I've made it probably a dozen times in the last 6 years. I up the garlic and basil, add pine nuts to the pesto. I'm not convinced the tomato sauce is necessary. Great to pair with steak or to serve alongside a salad as a vegetarian entree.
Linnea
Delicious, but takes a while to prepare. I recommend using the Marcella Hazan pesto recipe instead. For the tomatoes, dump 2C of whole peeled tomaotes, a halved onion, 5T butter, and some salt in a pan and simmer for 40 minutes. Then (God forgive me) blend it. Pour that around the peppers and bake. Yum Yum
Roberta
I'm a huge fan of Martha Rose Shulman's recipes, but this one earned a meh. Perhaps my tomato sauce was not up to par--although I'm not sure the tomato sauce adds much to this dish. I much prefer her eggplant tomato couscous gratin. It's wonderful.
Martin S
Used the Marcella Hazan recipe for the tomato sauce (prepared the previous day, and which concentrates deliciously during the baking), store-bought (Kirkland) pesto. Altogether very easy and works well for a bigger group dinner. But I would not say it was spectacular. I am with others that something felt amiss.
Janelle
I think I might char/roast the peppers first next time for more flavor. Right now it’s basically steamed bell peppers with pesto couscous.
Heidi
One of my favorite recipes. I’m surprised it doesn’t have too many reviews/ratings. I love how healthy and satisfying it is.
Karen
Good, but definitely missing something. Chopped veg in the filling (mushrooms, onion, celery). Italian sausage, either in or served on the side. Bread crumb topping.
rose
The tomato sauce is unnecessary, so I skipped it the second time around hoping it would be better. I used a different pesto recipe (NYT basic pesto). The roasting completely eliminated the pesto flavor and the peppers didn’t have the right consistency. You’re better off just chopping and sautéing some peppers and adding them to the couscous as a simple pasta dish.
Chessie
Pearled couscous is how I know it to be called
Jean
This was delicious. Next time I’ll dice some carrots and/or zucchini to pump up the veggies.
Linnea
Delicious, but takes a while to prepare. I recommend using the Marcella Hazan pesto recipe instead. For the tomatoes, dump 2C of whole peeled tomaotes, a halved onion, 5T butter, and some salt in a pan and simmer for 40 minutes. Then (God forgive me) blend it. Pour that around the peppers and bake. Yum Yum
Hannah
This was surprisingly tasty. I'm not usually a big fan of stuffed peppers but I had all the ingredients, so I gave it a go. It was really simple to make (especially when using store bought pesto) and better than expected. I cleared off my whole plate. Add extra parmesan at the end and red chile flakes!
katrickels
This is really good, and taste much more rich than it is. Also came together fairly easy. Will make again! Technical issue: the water to couscous ratio is a bit high. Maybe that’s intentional to keep it moist while baking, but next time, I’ll use 1/2 cup less.
Julie
I made this and it was wonderful. I followed the recipe and it worked perfectly except since it is such a small amount of basil the food processor was not necessary -- I would just chop it up next time and save on the clean up. Will definitely make again!
Carita
Good but too heavy on the tomatoes sauce. Cut marinara sauce in half.
Zaphelps
This was spectacular! Since I couldn't go out (social distancing) and didn't have any Israeli Couscous I substituted tri-colour quinoas and, since I had lots of frozen pesto pucks in my freezer, I substituted them for step 2. I used 2 large orange bell peppers and we had enough for a 2 person dinner and enough for a second dinner!
AmyQ
Always looking for a new vegetarian stuffing combo for peppers. Pretty yummy. Added pine nuts for texture, loved the pesto blended through but stuffing still seemed a bit one-note. Might throw cooked lentils in the party next time.
Andrew
Folded in a package of TJs veggie ground beef and just used jarred marinara sauce.
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