Description
When I’m craving a cozy dinner, I love to find recipes that strike the perfect balance of feel-good and comforting. And this Butternut Squash Orzo with Kale does just that!
This is a naturally meatless dish that’s loaded with in-season vegetables like butternut squash and kale. The coziness enters the equation with a one-pot cooking method inspired by risotto. Shallow simmering the orzo and butternut squash together in vegetable stock creates a built-in, naturally creamy sauce with the best glossy texture (no heavy cream involved!).
Bring it all together with kale and parmesan cheese for the perfect cozy, veggie-loaded meal, ready in 35 minutes or less! It’s feel-good comfort food at its finest, and I hope you love it as much as we do. ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, & diced into ½-inch cubes (approx 1 pound or 4 cups cubed)
- 1 large shallot (or ½ small yellow onion), finely diced
- 10–12 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 ½ cups orzo
- 1 cup dry, unoaked white wine
- 2 ½ – 3 cups vegetable stock/broth, divided
- 1 small bunch kale, destemmed & shredded (approx 2 cups chopped)
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅛–¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Soften the butternut squash & bloom the aromatics: Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, stir in the butternut squash & shallot. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is fragrant & the butternut squash is fork-tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the sage & garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, until fragrant.
- Toast the orzo & deglaze the skillet: Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Stir in the orzo. Toast the orzo 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until nutty & fragrant. Deglaze the skillet by slowly pouring in the white wine while using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Let the skillet simmer until the wine is almost completely cooked off, 1-2 minutes.
- Simmer the butternut squash orzo: Add 1 cup of the vegetable broth/stock into the skillet, stirring frequently until the orzo absorbs all of the liquid. Continue adding stock/broth ½ cup at a time. Stir frequently between additions. Start tasting for doneness after 10 minutes – you may not need to use all of the broth. The orzo is ready when it’s creamy & cooked through with a nice bite (i.e. al dente) & the butternut squash should break down a little bit, creating a really creamy sauce with a light orange tinge.
- Finish the butternut squash orzo: Once the orzo is al dente, finish the butternut orzo by stirring in the shredded kale, grated parmesan, butter, & nutmeg. Once the kale is wilted & tender, remove from the heat. Taste & adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve: Portion the butternut orzo into individual bowls, topping with grated additional grated parmesan or a drizzle of browned butter & crispy fried sage leaves as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Jess’ Tips & Tricks:
- Serving suggestion ⇢ Browned Butter & Crispy Fried Sage Leaves: While this butternut squash orzo is pretty stunning on its own, I love drizzling it with a little browned butter & topping it off with crispy sage leaves for extra drama. Preparing this garnish required a little multi-tasking, but it’s not difficult! Just after you finish Step 4 (stirring the kale & parmesan into the butternut orzo), add 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter & 8-10 fresh sage leaves to a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 2-3 minutes, swirling the pan often, until the butter browns & the sage leaves become crispy. Carefully drizzle the browned butter over the butternut orzo & finish with the crispy fried sage – beautiful & delicious!
- Recipe variations: This butternut orzo recipe is naturally meatless. To ensure it’s vegetarian, be sure to use your favorite rennet-free parmesan. To take it a step further & make it vegan + dairy-free, opt for your favorite non-dairy parmesan & butter. If you prefer to use a different green, go for it – spinach & Swiss chard both work beautifully!
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all the active prep work for this creamy butternut squash orzo comes from prepping the veggies. Take care of this in advance – it takes 10 minutes, tops – & you can jump straight in to cooking during the week:
- Dice 1 large shallot.
- Peel, deseed & dice 1 small butternut squash into ½-inch cubes.
- Transfer to an airtight container & store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover butternut squash orzo will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding an extra splash of water or cooking stock to loosen up the orzo as needed, until warmed through.