Primavera means Spring in Italian and the season was the inspiration for this dish.
We chose Toasted Israeli Couscous for its chewy texture, but could be replaced with precooked medium grain
COUSCOUS.
Roast the red pepper in an open flame (top of the stove or grill), peel, remove stem and seeds, dice and drizzle with olive oil.
Asparagus: trim, peel, cut diagonally into 1"pieces. Drop into salted boiling water until just tender, 4-6 minutes.
Fava beans: Drop the shelled fava beans into salted boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes. Peel the outer skin.
Defrost the green peas. Bring to a boil 2 cups of water, add a pinch of
SAFFRON THREADS and salt to taste.
Coat the bottom of a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Gently toast the grains of
TOASTED COUSCOUS. Add the boiling water, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Let it rest until all the liquid is absorbed.
In a bowl combine asparagus, fava beans and green peas. Season with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add couscous, roasted pepper and chopped chives.
Mix, adjust seasoning.
Serve at room temperature.
Ideal as a side dish for grilled chicken or fish.
Serves 8-10 as a side dish. 4-6 as a main dish.
