Couscous with Basil-Oregano Pesto and Balsamic Tomatoes

This vegetarian dish is so easy to make and only takes 20 minutes. It uses fresh herbs blended into a pesto, and sweet tomatoes cooked in balsamic vinegar. You can easily add meat if you want, as well as omit the cheese in the pesto to make it a vegan dish.

View fullsize

---

prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes

servings: 2

---

Ingredients:

COUSCOUS WITH PESTO

• 2 cups pearl couscous (cooked according to package instruction)

• 1 1/2 cups fresh packed basil

• 1/2 cup fresh oregano

• 1/2 cup grated Merlot BellaVitano cheese (you can use any hard cheese, or omit to make vegan)

• 2 cloves garlic

• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

• About 1/3 cup olive oil

BALSAMIC TOMATOES

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

• 2 cloves minced garlic

---

Directions:

1. Start by boiling a pot of water, and cooking the couscous according to package instructions.

2. Place all ingredients for the pesto inside a food processor (or blender), except for the olive oil. Drizzle the oil in until the pesto reaches the consistency you want, You want it to have some chunk to it, but not overly solid. A somewhat liquid paste. Taste and adjust accordingly.

3. In a small frying pan, add minced garlic, balsamic vinegar and cherry tomatoes. Simmer the tomatoes in the mixture until they start to burst. You want them to still be in tact, but their skin should be starting to peel off.

4. Mix the cooked couscous in with the pesto until combined. Top with the tomatoes, and ladle some of the extra balsamic vinegar on top as well. You can garnish with some extra cheese and basil if desired. Enjoy!