Butternut Squash Orzo

Creamy butternut squash orzo with chopped kale and a sage brown butter sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 300kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 butternut squash peeled, deseeded and diced into 1/2" cubes (about 4-5 cups worth)
1 small yellow onion diced
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic minced
1 1/2 cups orzo
4 cups vegetable broth divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt
pepper to taste
1 bunch lacinato kale destemmed and shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Sage Brown Butter

6 tablespoons butter
12 sage leaves chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown butter in a small pan and set over medium to medium-low heat. Stir the butter around the pan until melted. While browning butter you want to stir just about the entire time to keep things moving and to prevent the butter from burning. Browning butter is a process that takes about 8 minutes from the time you started. Once the butter melts, it will begin to foam and sizzle. Continue stirring, eventually the foam will subside and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will turn a very light golden color. Continue stirring until the milk solids are golden brown and almost amber colored. The smell will be nutty and very buttery. Butter can burn in a matter of seconds so don’t overcook the butter. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a heat proof bowl or container. This will stop the cooking process. Stir in the chopped sage leaves and set aside.
In a large pot set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once shimmering add the diced squash and onion. Cook until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and orzo. Cook for an additional minute. This will toast the orzo and allow the garlic to permeate its yummy juices into the vegetables 😊
Deglaze the pan by pouring in 1 cup of vegetable broth, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the broth simmer for 1 minute, or until almost completely dissolved. Pour in the remaining 2 ½ cups of broth, add the salt and pepper (to taste). Stir frequently as I’ve found orzo to really stick to the bottom of pans easier than other pastas. Cook until the orzo is al dente, about 10 minutes or so. The butternut squash will be very soft and slightly falling apart, creating an orange tinge to the dish.
Stir in the kale, parmesan cheese, and nutmeg. Cook until the kale is wilted. Remove from the heat. Pour the sage brown butter over the pasta and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

While you're melting the butter and working on browning it, you can start cooking the onion and butternut squash! This will speed up the making of the dish as a whole.

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition