Butternut Squash Orzo

A delicious butternut squash orzo recipe that serves as a perfect comfort food. This dish is almost like an orzo risotto, with the added flavors of baked garlic, nutmeg, and sage leaves.

By @georginaelizat

Original recipe source

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups butternut squash
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 5 garlic cloves
• 0.125 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1.125 cup milk
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 0.25 medium white onion
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1.75 cup veg stock
• 0.8 cup hot water
• 15 sage leaves
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 2.5 oz soft goat’s cheese

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Peel and cut butternut squash into chunks.
3. On a baking tray, pour a generous glug of olive oil and add the butternut squash. Top with another glug of olive oil and 1 pinch of salt + pepper.
4. Cut the top off a garlic bulb, add a drizzle of olive oil and place head down onto the tray. Bake for 30 minutes, until soft. Set aside to cool slightly.
5. In a blender, add 200g of the baked butternut squash (leaving some aside for topping), 5 baked garlic cloves, nutmeg and milk. Blend until smooth.
6. In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp butter and once melted, diced onion. Fry for a few minutes and then add uncooked orzo.
7. Mix and add stock. Cook on a medium-high heat until the stock has mostly evaporated, then add the hot water (almost like you would do with a risotto). Continue cooking until the orzo is completely cooked and the water has mostly evaporated.
8. Whilst this is cooking, fry your sage leaves in a pan on medium-high heat with 1-2 tbsp butter for around 20 seconds, until crispy.
9. Mix the butternut squash mixture into the cooked orzo, along with a final knob (approx 1 tbsp) of butter and 1 pinch of salt and pepper (taste here for preference).
10. Serve in a bowl with some of the butternut squash, goats cheese and crispy sage. Enjoy!