Pat tilapia very dry before searing for best browning. Use silicone or wooden utensils with nonstick pans to avoid scratching. Zest the lemon before juicing for easier handling.
Ingredients
0.5 cup Toasted Pearl Couscous
1 whole Scallion
0.5 oz Roasted Almonds
1 whole Lemon
2 whole Tilapia Fillet
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2.5 oz Peas
1.75 oz Dairy-Free Basil and Garlic Pesto
0.75 oz Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Butter
0 Salt
0 Pepper
0 Olive Oil
0 Cooking Oil
1.25 cup Water
Tools
small pot
medium nonstick pan
large sauté pan
small bowl
measuring cup & spoons
microplane
thermometer
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Green Chef
Seared Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce
Pesto couscous with almonds & peas, Parmesan
⏱️ 25 min🍽️ 2 servings
Cooking Tips
Pat tilapia very dry before searing for best browning. Use silicone or wooden utensils with nonstick pans to avoid scratching. Zest the lemon before juicing for easier handling.
Ingredients
0.5 cup Toasted Pearl Couscous
1 whole Scallion
0.5 oz Roasted Almonds
1 whole Lemon
2 whole Tilapia Fillet
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2.5 oz Peas
1.75 oz Dairy-Free Basil and Garlic Pesto
0.75 oz Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Butter
0 Salt
0 Pepper
0 Olive Oil
0 Cooking Oil
1.25 cup Water
Tools
small pot medium nonstick pan large sauté pan small bowl measuring cup & spoons microplane thermometer
Mise en Place
1
Prep produce and garnishes
Trim and thinly slice scallion. Roughly chop 1/2 oz (or 1 oz for 4 servings) of roasted almonds. Zest half of 1 (or 2 for 4 servings) lemon over a small bowl and then quarter the lemon(s).
2
Prepare tilapia
Pat 2 (5 oz) (or 4 (5 oz) for 4 servings) tilapia fillets dry with paper towels and season with half the 1 tbsp (or all for 4 servings) Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper.
3
Gather and ready equipment
Take out a small pot, medium nonstick pan (or large nonstick for 4), large sauté pan, small bowl, and measuring cup & spoons. Have a microplane, thermometer, paper towels, and proper utensils (silicone or wooden for nonstick pans) ready. Make sure you have olive oil, cooking oil, butter (1 tbsp | 2 tbsp), and salt & pepper on hand.
4
Measure out ingredients
Measure 1/2 cup (or 1 cup for 4 servings) toasted pearl couscous, 2 1/2 oz (or 5 oz for 4 servings) peas, 1 3/4 oz (or 3 1/2 oz for 4 servings) dairy-free basil & garlic pesto, and 3/4 oz (or 1 1/2 oz for 4 servings) Parmesan cheese.
Cooking Steps
1
Cook Couscous
Bring 1¼ cups water (use 2½ cups for 4 servings) and ¼ teaspoon salt (½ teaspoon for 4 servings) to a boil in a small pot. Once boiling, stir in toasted pearl couscous. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 11–14 minutes, or until al dente and water has absorbed. Remove from heat. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat. (You'll finish the couscous in Step 5.)
2
Prep Ingredients
Trim and thinly slice scallion. Roughly chop roasted almonds. Zest half the lemon and place zest in a small bowl. Quarter the lemon.
3
Sear Tilapia
Pat tilapia filets dry with paper towels. Season with half the Italian seasoning (all for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a medium nonstick pan (large for 4 servings) over medium-high heat. Add tilapia and sear 2–3 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked. Remove from heat and transfer tilapia to a plate, reserving the pan.
4
Sauté Peas
Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add peas and scallion to the hot pan. Cook 2–3 minutes, or until peas are warmed through, stirring occasionally.
5
Finish Couscous
Add couscous, dairy-free basil & garlic pesto, Parmesan cheese, and almonds to the pan with peas. Cook about 1 minute, or until well combined, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6
Make Pan Sauce
Return the reserved pan used for tilapia to the stovetop over low heat. Add juice from 1–2 lemon wedges (2–4 wedges for 4 servings) and a pinch of lemon zest (two pinches for 4 servings). Stir to combine. Cook about 1 minute, or until bubbly. Add 1 tablespoon butter (2 tablespoons for 4 servings) to the pan and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7
Plate Your Dish
Divide the pesto couscous between plates. Top with tilapia. Drizzle tilapia with lemon butter sauce. Serve remaining lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!