Israeli Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemon

Israeli Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemon

DSC_8075a1 preserved lemon
1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 3/4 C. Israeli couscous or acini di pepe (tiny peppercorn-shaped pasta), about 1 pound
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 C. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 C. pine nuts, toasted
1/2 C. golden raisins
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 475°F. Halve lemons and scoop out flesh, keeping both flesh and peel. Cut enough peel into 1/4-inch dice to measure 1/4 C.. Put lemon flesh in a sieve set over a bowl and press with back of a spoon to extract juice. Toss squash with 1 T. oil and salt to taste in a large shallow baking pan and spread in 1 layer. Roast in upper third of oven 15 minutes, or until squash is just tender, and transfer to a large bowl. Cook onion in 1 T. oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to turn golden. Add to squash. Cook couscous with cinnamon stick in a large pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes, or until just tender, and drain in a colander (do not rinse). Add couscous to vegetables and toss with 2 T. oil to coat. Add lemon peel and juice, parsley, nuts, raisins, ground cinnamon, and salt to taste. Toss to mix well.

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