Baked spinach couscous with pumpkin, ham, and cheese
For many, couscous is synonymous with summer and fresh, light dishes. However, it pairs perfectly with any preparation. Here is one of the first autumn recipes we offer: Baked spinach couscous with pumpkin, ham, and cheese. The recipe is by our Fernanda Nicotra, food blogger at Giallo Zafferano.
Ingredients
- 200 g couscous, ours was spinach;
- 250 g water;
- to taste, salt;
- to taste, extra virgin olive oil;
- 120 g cooked ham;
- 90 g soft cheese;
- 90 g mozzarella;
- 50 g water (for finishing);
- 500 g pumpkin;
- 80 g cheese (such as Grana or Parmesan);
Preparation:
Pour the couscous into the bowl, add the boiling water, oil, and salt, and mix. Cover and wait ten minutes for it to rehydrate. Meanwhile, peel the pumpkin and slice it.
Place the slices in a microwave-safe dish, drizzle with a little oil, lightly salt, and cook for ten minutes at maximum temperature. If you have a crispy plate, use it.
Alternatively, use a conventional oven and bake at 180°C until tender.
Mash the pumpkin with a fork and add 40g of Parmesan.
Fluff the couscous with a fork, add the grated cheese, and mix. Line a baking dish with parchment paper, drizzle with a little oil, and spread half of the couscous, some Taleggio or cheese of your choice, and the ham.
Cover with more couscous, level it, and distribute the mozzarella and ham. Drizzle with 50ml of water, cover with the mashed pumpkin, and add a few more pieces of cheese. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, let it brown, remove from the oven, and serve hot.
