Pearled Couscous with Pesto, Butter Beans, and Summer Squash

1 cup pearled couscous

1 recipe basil parsley pesto (see below)

1 15-oz can butter beans, drained

2 small summer squash and/or zucchini, cut into very thin half-moons, sautéed or raw

Lemon juice, to taste

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup pearl couscous and toast, stirring constantly, until the couscous starts to smell nutty and turn a light brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately add 1½ cups boiling water to the saucepan with the toasted couscous and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for about 14 minutes, or until the couscous is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Uncover and remove from the heat.

Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl, add 1 cup of the pesto, and stir to combine. Mix in the butter beans and squash. Add more pesto as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add lemon juice if it needs more brightness. Serve with crumbled feta on top, if desired!

Basil Parsley Pesto

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup sunflower seeds

2½ cups packed basil leaves

1 cup packed parsley leaves

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Add garlic cloves and sunflower seeds to a food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Add basil leaves and parsley in batches, along with the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt, and continue blending until smooth. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, and/or olive oil as needed, until pesto reaches desired consistency and taste!