Butternut Squash Orzo with Goat’s Cheese and Crispy Sage

Ingredients

• 400 g Butternut squash (Raw and peeled; cut into chunks. Blend 200 g and reserve the rest for topping.)
• 2.5 tbsp Olive oil (Source gives 2–3 tbsp; used for the squash and garlic, with a generous glug on the tray and another over the squash, plus a drizzle on the garlic bulb.)
• Salt (2 pinches total, divided; one pinch for roasting and one for seasoning the finished orzo, to taste.)
• Black pepper (2 pinches total, divided; one pinch for roasting and one for seasoning the finished orzo, to taste.)
• 5 Baked garlic cloves (Bake a whole garlic bulb on the tray; use five cloves in the squash purée. Remaining baked cloves can be saved for other uses.)
• 0.125 tsp Ground nutmeg
• 40 ml Milk (Source also states 1/8 cup + 1 tbsp; blend with squash, garlic, and nutmeg.)
• 4 tbsp Salted butter (2 tbsp for the orzo, 1–2 tbsp for frying sage, and approximately 1 tbsp to finish; source portions total approximately 4 tbsp.)
• 0.25 White onion (Medium; diced.)
• 185 g Orzo (Uncooked.)
• 400 ml Vegetable stock
• 200 ml Hot water (Add more if needed to finish cooking the orzo.)
• 15 Fresh sage leaves (Approximately 15; more may be used if desired.)
• 70 g Soft goat’s cheese (For serving.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Peel the squash and cut it into chunks.

2. 2

   On a baking tray, pour a generous glug of olive oil and add the squash. Top it with another glug of olive oil and one pinch each of salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Cut the top off a whole garlic bulb, drizzle it with olive oil, and place it cut-side down on the tray with the squash.

4. 4

   Bake for 30 minutes, until the squash is soft. Set aside to cool slightly.

5. 5

   Put 200 g of the baked squash in a blender, reserving the remaining squash for topping. Add the five baked garlic cloves, nutmeg, and milk.

6. 6

   Blend the squash mixture until smooth.

7. 7

   Set a frying pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp of butter. Once melted, add the diced onion.

8. 8

   Fry the onion for a few minutes, then add the uncooked orzo and mix.

9. 9

   Add the vegetable stock. Cook over medium-high heat until the stock has mostly evaporated.

10. 10

    Add the hot water and continue cooking, as with risotto, until the orzo is fully cooked and most of the water has evaporated. Add more hot water if needed.

11. 11

    While the orzo cooks, heat 1–2 tbsp butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the sage leaves and fry for about 20 seconds, until crispy.

12. 12

    Mix the squash purée into the cooked orzo. Add the remaining butter, approximately 1 tbsp, and one pinch each of salt and pepper; taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

13. 13

    Serve in bowls with some of the reserved squash, goat’s cheese, and crispy sage.

Notes

The author says the listed liquid was enough to cook the orzo but recommends adding more hot water if needed. Serves 2 as large bowls or 4 as smaller bowls. The recipe says to bake a whole garlic bulb but does not separately specify how much oil to use for the garlic drizzle.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• vegetarian
• autumn
• roasted
• stovetop
• comfort food