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Couscous Salad with Peppers, Olives, and Pine Nuts

4.2(21)

Couscous, the basis of many North African dishes, is shaped like a grain but is actually a pasta made of semolina wheat. In fact couscous was incorporated into Italian cuisine when Arabs occupied Sicily six centuries ago. And so to flavor the following couscous we've used classic ingredients common to Sicily rather than North Africa-olives, peppers, capers, currants, and pine nuts.

by Epicurious·published 2004-08-20

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Servings

(6–8)

Total time

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Calories / serving

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Ingredients (13)

serves

2 cups waterwater
1/3 cup currants or raisinscurrant
3/4 teaspoon saltsalt
4 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 1/2 cups couscouscouscous
2 large garlic cloves, mincedgarlic
1 small onion, chopped fineonion
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegarvinegar
3 red bell peppers, roasted (procedure follows) and choppedbell-pepper
a 3-ounce jar small pimiento-stuffed green olives (1/2 cup packed), drained and sliced thin
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted lightlypine-nut
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leafed)parsley

Instructions (3 steps)

01In a small saucepan bring water to a boil with currants or raisins, salt, and 1 tablespoon oil. Stir in couscous and let stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to bowl.
02In a small skillet cook garlic in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Stir onion mixture into couscous with vinegar, bell peppers, olives, capers, pine nuts, parsley, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

03Using a long-handled fork, char peppers over an open flame, turning, until skins are blackened, 2 to 3 minutes. (Or broil peppers on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat, turning every 5 minutes, until skins are blistered and charred, 15 to 25 minutes.) Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Keeping peppers whole, peel them, starting at blossom end. Cut off tops and discard seeds and ribs.

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