PEARL COUSCOUS WITH CREAMY FETA & CHICKPEAS

This is a vegetarian recipe, great for a weeknight. 

Ingredients

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

• ¼ cup sliced scallions

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, plus more for serving

• 2 fat garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

• ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more for serving

• 3 oregano, rosemary or sage sprigs (I used oregano)

• 2 cups vegetable stock or water

• ⅓ cup chopped cilantro, dill or parsley, plus more for serving (I used cilantro)

• ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from ½ lemon)

• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin

• 8 ounces pearl couscous (1½ cups)

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup feta, crumbled (about 4 ounces) - I used 6 ounces

• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan (1½ ounces)

Prep

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-inch baking dish, cake pan or gratin dish, toss together tomatoes, scallions, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper and oregano sprigs. Roast until tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

2. While tomatoes roast, heat the stock until it boils, then stir in remaining 1 teaspoon salt, adding more to taste. (You want a well-seasoned broth here to flavor the couscous.) Stir in cilantro, lemon zest and cumin.

3. Remove tomatoes from oven and fold in couscous, chickpeas and hot stock mixture. Cover pan tightly with foil, and return to oven for 20 minutes.

4. Remove foil and fold in about 3/4ths of the feta (save the rest for garnish) and Parmesan. Bake uncovered until feta starts to melt, another 5 minutes.

5. To serve, pull out and discard herb sprigs if you like, and spoon couscous into bowls. Top with remaining feta, lots more herbs, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

   Enjoy!