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Indulge in a delicious and hearty fall dish with this creamy butternut squash orzo recipe. This creamy pasta with kale, fresh sage and Parmesan cheese ticks all the boxes! A delicious, full of nutrients and incredibly satisfying autumn favourite. Perfect for a cozy night in or a holiday gathering.
Love a creamy, one-pan meal like this? You’ll want to give Creamy Chorizo and Spinach Orzo a try!
We all know that pasta dishes are weeknight heros. They are quick to prepare and endlessly customizable. You’d be pressed hard to find someone who doesn’t love pasta.
Sadly they also have a reputation for being full of carbs and fat. While it’s difficult to argue the carb part, fat doesn’t have to be a dominant ingredient in your pasta recipes.
When paired with bold tasting, flavourful ingredients pastas become a healthy and substantial meal option. Let’s take this meal for example.
When I first made this vegetarian recipe I had to text my husband immediately to brag that something amazing is waiting for him at home. I believe my exact words were, “This orzo pasta is ridiculous. Sooooo tasty!”
What is orzo?
Despite not quite looking the part, This is an affiliate link.orzo is actually a pasta shape, just slightly smaller than we are used to. It looks like rice, doesn’t it? The word orzo means “barley” in Italian but there is no actual barley in it, only shape resemblance. It’s made the same way any pasta is made.
Because orzo is so small it cooks in no time at all and is amazing to use in soups and creamy one pot dishes like the one I am sharing today. I’ve also made it as one pan dinners with Lemon Chicken, Greek Chicken, Italian Sausage, Meatballs and as the base of a salad.
It is easy to make orzo recipes that are good for you. It all depends on what you put in it! My roasted butternut squash pasta is delicious and nutritious, as are add-ons like squash and kale!
Orzo can be cooked the same way you would pasta. Boil it in water until al dente and you are ready to go.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is quite simple. Orzo pasta, shallots, garlic, sage, butternut squash, kale, vegetable stock and Parmesan cheese. You can also adjust it according to your own taste or the ingredients you have available.
I like adding kale, with cavolo nero (also known as Tuscan kale) as my choice when making this orzo. Kale can be easily substituted with spinach or Swiss chard.
Roasting butternut squash makes them tender and brings out their natural sweetness. It’s also really easy to do, needing just a baking sheet and sharp This is an affiliate link.knife to cut the squash into bite-sized cubes.
You can also use various vegetables instead of butternut squash. Pumpkin and broccoli are personal favourites! Just be sure to roast them first, which caramelizes sugars and mellows flavours without compromising the nutritious bits.
How to make it
First of all, to make orzo creamy we need to stir it occasioinally during cooking. The pasta will release its natural starch and become creamy. I also added some freshly grated Parmesan cheese for extra creaminess and delicious flavour.
This one pot pasta is very much reminiscent of risotto but the method is slightly different. When making risotto, rice is added to a dry pan with the stock gradually poured in overtop.
However, I found it important to add uncooked orzo to boiling water, or in my case boiling vegetable stock. This was the best way to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the orzo is cooked al dente, which will only take about 7-8 minutes, stir in grated This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese and top with roasted vegetables like butternut squash, pumpkin or broccoli.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- It’s important to use low heat when the garlic and shallots are added. Burnt garlic is especially bitter and unpleasant to eat, so the last thing you want to do is to add it to an over-hot pan. Low heat will allow them to become a lovely golden brown colour and release their flavours gently into the dish.
- Remember that you control how thick the pasta sauce is. If you want it to be a little looser, tip in a small amount of stock or water and combine until it has the thickness you prefer.
- I like adding kale for its earthy flavour and many nutritious benefits, but it can be left out if needed, or replaced with spinach or Swiss chard.
- Prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the woodsy stalks. The stalks are quite a lot tougher than the leaves and won’t tenderize in the time it takes for this dish to cook.
- Instead of butternut squash you can use pumpkin, carrots, broccoli or many other roasted vegetables, depending on what you enjoy the most.
- Although pre-grated Parmesan cheese is convenient, it unfortunately doesn’t melt properly or have quite the right taste. Freshly grated Parmesan is what you need for the flavourful salty hit and lovely melt.
Serving suggestions
Like all pastas, orzo is best when cooked fresh as it loses the al dente texture with time and becomes gummy with the overall dish texture too thick. That means this is a dish to serve hot and fresh!
If planning ahead, I would recommend roasting butternut squash up to a day before serving. Then putting the whole dish together will not take longer than 20 minutes.
I think this dish is ideal when served all on its own as a filling vegetarian option. If you prefer a bit of extra protein, pair it with my quick and easy Chicken Paillard in Sherry Caper Sauce.
Storage and leftovers
As mentioned above, this is a dish that doesn’t get better with time. But that is pretty much the same with every pasta dish, so no big surprise. If you do have leftovers, keep them in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat in a microwave.
Just avoid the temptation to freeze. Pasta becomes mushy and unappetizing when frozen, and very far from the al dente ideal.
More delicious vegetarian dishes
- Mediterranean Pasta with Zucchini
- Mushroom Stroganoff
- Vegetarian Thai Green Curry
- Spaghetti alla Siciliana
Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Orzo
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron pan
- This is an affiliate link.Enamel colander
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil, divided
- 1 butternut squash, large, approximately 2 lbs/1 kg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 shallots
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 10 leaves sage, divided or 0.5 tsp dried sage
- 500g/ 2 ½ cups This is an affiliate link.orzo
- 1 litre +250ml / 5 cups This is an affiliate link.vegetable stock, plus ½ cup if needed
- 100g / 1 cup kale, chopped, I used cavolo nero
- 50g / 3/4 cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Peel, de-seed and cut butternut squash into bite-sized cubes, season with salt, pepper and 1 tbsp of olive oil or low calorie spray. Arrange on a shallow pan, scatter 4-5 sage leaves throughout and roast at 200C/400F for 45 minutes or until golden.
- 20 minutes before the squash is done, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a deep pan and sauté chopped shallots, garlic and remaining minced sage leaves over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add vegetables stock, salt and kale, bring to a boil, add orzo and cook according to package instructions for approximately 7-8 minutes until tender but al dente. Stir the orzo throughout the cooking process to release starch and to avoid it sticking to the bottom of a pan. If the mixture looks too thick add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock or water to maintain creamy, risotto like consistency. Take off the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt to taste and top with roasted butternut squash.
Notes
- Be sure to use low heat when adding the garlic and shallots. Burnt garlic is unpleasant! Low heat allows both to cook to a lovely golden colour and gently release flavour to the dish.
- The thickness of the pasta sauce is up to you. For looser sauce, add a small amount of stock or water and combine until you are satisfied.
- Kale can be left out but I like the flavour and nutrition it adds. Or replace it with spinach or Swiss chard.
- Cut off the woodsy kale stalks before adding the leaves. The stalks are quite tough and won’t become tender in the time this dish takes to cook.
- In place of butternut squash, you can use pumpkin, carrots, broccoli or plenty of other roasted vegetables.
- Pre-grated Parmesan cheese may seem like a convenient choice, but unfortunately it doesn’t melt properly or have the same taste as fresh cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan is needed for that tasty, salty hit and perfect melt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make this in a crockpot? Any adjustments?
Hi Mary, I am really not a fan of cooking pasta in a crockpot. No matter what you do it will never be al dente.
I was skeptical about this recipe because I don’t really like kale or squash but I made it and it was fantastic! I even burnt the squash a little bit and my whole family of picky eaters loved it. I would definitely make this again!
Wow this was delicious- I cut the squash very small and air fried it to save time.
Didn’t have sage and used thyme and oregano instead
Lovely recipe, my husband loved it and would definitely make again.
This was delish. I prepared almost as written substituting spinach for kale. I really appreciated the take on the orzo becoming risotto like. Very good. I prepared in a 2 step process. I cooked the squash a day earlier then on dinner day it was a quick put together. Served with a Malbec. Wonderful pairing.
This was sooooo easy and DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to make this again! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! I used spinach instead of kale since I had it on hand but it still turned out great! My family LOVED it! It was also great warmed up after we froze the leftovers!
I am so happy the recipe was enjoyed by all!!
I’ve never rated a recipe or left a review in my life, but this dish is magic. It’s beautiful and uniquely delicious.
Thank you so much, Rebecca! So kind of you to leave a review.
This was DELICIOUS!! The whole family loved it, including 2 picky kiddos. Thank you for such a great recipe!
We loved this meal so much! It was easy to make and super flavorful. It was easy to make vegan by using plant-based parmesan and the outcome was great. I will definitely keep this in rotation for easy fall meals!
The family LOVED this creamy deliciousness. I didn’t have quite enough Parmigiana cheese so I added sharp cheddar. I am surprised there were leftovers because it was so tasty. I’m so excited to have them for lunch tomorrow. This recipe is a keeper and will go into our regular rotation. Thank you recipe creating master.
Thank you so much for your review, Robyn!
Delicious! New family favorite!
Amazing!! Thank you for letting me know, Allie!
Fantastic and very easy. I substituted baby spinach for the kale cause that is what I had in the house. If doing that add 4-5 handfuls of the baby spinach (or more if you prefer, it won’t harm the dish). I also added a 1/4 cup of gruyere. It was eaten by four adults who all came back for seconds. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Looking forward to trying your other recipes. Many many thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Rich! I am so happy you loved it.
Hello! Looking forward to making this especially so many great reviews. I don’t have any orzo on hand, would gemelli pasta work?
Thank you in advance!
Yes, it absolutely would work, May!
I’ve made this maybe five times since finding this recipe. It’s become a staple in my house. Perfect leftovers for a yummy lunch the next day. I usually sub spinach because I always have some in the freezer. So good!
Wow, this makes me so happy!! Thank you for sharing this with me!
We love this recipe! Great flavor, color and texture!
Thank you for your review, Margaret!
Wow! So addictive; I think this is my new, favorite comfort food. I added a lot more kale and found that it’s even more delicious when you let it sit for 20 minutes before eating to allow all of the flavors come together and the texture to become thicker. Yum! Thank you for this😁
My pleasure, Pam! Enjoy!! 🙂
Can I use frozen kale?
Yes!
How does this have so much protein? Without beans? What am I missing?
Hi Theresa, I am not a nutritionist and use an automated nutritional label, which should only be used as a guideline and not intended for people with strict dietary restrictions. However, according to the numbers in that program the protein comes from orzo, kale and Parmesan cheese.
I didn’t use sage, and it was still amazing. I also used spinach instead of kale. So good!
So glad to hear it, Kandace!
So I just made this recipe but changed out some ingredients because it’s what I had on hand. First- I roasted sliced onions with my butternut squash. Then-I used 2-2.5 cups quinoa in place of the orzo. I also topped with crumbled goat cheese instead of using the parmesan. I loved adding crushed red pepper to mine as well. I will try it one day with the correct ingredients- but I urge y’all to try the quinoa version as well- it was delicious.
It does sounds delicious, Ann!! I will definitely try it.
Loved this! I didn’t quite have the ingredients I needed, so I omitted sage and Parmesan, and I added chopped green olives, red pepper flakes, and topped it with feta. It was delicious and my partner was a big fan, too! Thank you!
My pleasure, Jennifer! I am so glad you enjoyed this dish. Love the creativity in substitutions!
I have a question with the amount of orzo….4 1/2 cups seems like a lot…is this correct?
Hi Vickie, the recipe is for 1 lbs of orzo, yes 4.5 cups seems like a typo, it should be 2.5 cups
This was very good. Hubby really liked it and two out of 3 teens tried it. The other teen decided she would order out before I even made it. The teens are busily eating elsewhere but will get their opinion later. One of them is a vegetarian so I’m positive he will like it.
Thanks so much!
My pleasure, Bonnie! My teenagers sometimes turn to packet ramen when I cook something new and unexpected! haha
Is there a way to make this vegan?
Absolutely, the only non-vegan ingredient here is Parmesan cheese, so either omit it or replace with Vegan hard cheese.
This was so delicious!!! Added diced chicken for the fiancé and just as good! So happy I stumbled upon this recipe!
Yes!! Thank you for such a great review, Gloria!
Delicious. So easy to prepare and adapt with ingredients on hand. The sweetness of the roasted butternut squash pairs beautifully with the savory creamy orzo. My hubby loved it!
I am so pleased both you and your husband enjoyed this dish, Suzanne!! Thank you for your review!
Really easy to make, aside from cutting the butternut squash, (always a pain!). Absolutely delicious. I added spinach towards the end instead of the kale, as i couldn’t get hold of any. The creaminess of the orzo and parmesan melts in your mouth.
I just made it recently with frozen spinach and little star pasta, that’s all I had available, and it also worked well. So happy you loved it, Hayley!
Love how creamy this is! Delicious. Great flavor. Kale, Squash, shallot, garlic, parmesan…perfect combination! YUM!!
This is my ideal fall dish! Love orzo and roasted butternut squash. SO delicious!
I love butternut squash! This is such a perfect and delicious dish for fall. Definitely going to be making this again.
you had me at butternut squash!! I love orzo and this recipe does not disappoint!
This is perfection! I loved how all of the flavors come together and it is SO creamy! This is a new favorite for me!
So pleased to hear it! Our family loves it as well!
I just made this recipe and I’m in love! All the flavors pair whimsically together. Will for sure make again and now I know I’m a fan of orzo too!