Pumpkin Orzo with Chorizo and Sage

Ingredients

• 150 g chorizo (sliced)
• olive oil (splash for frying)
• 400 g butternut squash cubes
• 400 g Mutti cerises (canned cherry tomatoes)
• 7 sage (6-8 leaves)
• 1 tbsp thyme (fresh or dried)
• 300 g orzo
• 750 ml vegetable broth (more if needed)
• heavy cream (a splash)
• 100 g Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 0.5 lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• fresh basil (for garnish)
• extra Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
• 2 tbsp hazelnuts (coarsely chopped, for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Slice the 150 g of chorizo.

2. 2

   Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and fry the chorizo slices until crispy. Remove the chorizo from the pan and set aside.

3. 3

   In the same pan, bring water to a boil. Add the 400 g of butternut squash cubes and cook for 12 minutes until tender. Drain the pumpkin afterwards.

4. 4

   Put the cooked pumpkin back into the pan along with the 400 g of tomatoes (Mutti cerises), 6-8 sage leaves, and 1 tbsp of thyme.

5. 5

   Let the mixture simmer gently for 5 minutes and then blend it with an immersion blender into a smooth sauce.

6. 6

   Add the 300 g of orzo to the sauce in the pan.

7. 7

   Gradually pour in the 750 ml of vegetable broth while stirring regularly. Let the orzo cook for approximately 20 minutes until tender. If the orzo needs more liquid, add extra broth.

8. 8

   Stir three-quarters of the fried chorizo into the orzo.

9. 9

   Add a splash of heavy cream, the 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese, and the juice of half a lemon. Stir well.

10. 10

    Season the whole dish with pepper and salt if needed.

11. 11

    Serve the orzo and garnish with the remaining chorizo, fresh basil, extra Parmesan cheese, and the 2 tbsp of coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

Notes

The author suggests eating leftovers for lunch the next day with some fresh cucumber, bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes mixed in. In the video, burrata is also mentioned as an optional topping.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• orzo
• pumpkin
• one-pan dish
• comfort food
• autumn
• pasta