Rosemary-roasted pumpkin and red onion with pearl couscous and green olives

This is almost a meal in itself, but it’s a great substantial side dish that can be customised to suit your dietary needs. Can’t eat couscous? Sub in quinoa instead. Don’t like olives? Add diced feta. If you’ve got some very sweet late-season cherry tomatoes hanging around, by all means add them in.

Ingredients

500 g	Pumpkin, skinned and deseeded (about 1/2 a butternut pumpkin), cut into 2cm cubes (Main)
3	Red onions, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks (Main)
2 cloves	Garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 sprig	Fresh rosemary leaves
½ cup	Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup	Pearl couscous
¾ cup	Green olives
1 Tbsp	Red wine vinegar
1 tsp	Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 200C. Put the pumpkin, onions, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl with half the olive oil. Toss well until combined. Spread out on a large oven tray and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked and crisping up at the edges.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the couscous. Put 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a heavy pot set over medium heat. Add the couscous and stir for a couple of minutes, until it starts to colour. Carefully pour in 1 ½ cups boiling water and ¼ tsp salt. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the couscous is al dente and all the water has absorbed. Remove from the heat and transfer the couscous to a serving bowl.
3. When the vegetables are cooked, add them to the couscous with the olives. Whisk together the remaining olive oil (about 1 ½ Tbsp) with the red wine vinegar. Drizzle this over the salad and stir gently until combined. Serve warm or at room temperature. Any leftovers can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days.