Cheesy Butternut Orzo
This cheesy butternut orzo is Autumn in a bowl! Cooked on the stove like a risotto & packed full of roasted squash, crispy sage & nutty parmesan.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Author: Ben Racey
Roasting Tin
Jug Blender
Large Saucepan
Microplane/Grater
- 1 Butternut Squash
- 800 ml Vegetable Stock Warm
- 15 Sage Leaves
- 1 Large White Onion Finely Diced
- 4 Cloves Garlic Grated
- 300 g Orzo
- 75 g Butter
- 100 g Parmesan Grated
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
To Finish
- Rapeseed Oil
- Grated Parmesan
Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (390°f/355°f).
Peel the butternut squash, cut in half & scoop out the seeds. Take one half, cut into a small, rough dice & set aside. Cut the other half into rough chunks & place into a roasting tin. Drizzle with veg oil & season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until soft. This will take around 20 minutes.
Once cooked, place the roasted squash into a jug blender with the warm stock & blitz to make a thin puree/stock. Keep warm whilst you make the risotto base.
Next, place 2 tbsp of vegetable oil into a large saucepan & place over a medium heat. Once hot add in the sage leaves & cook for 30 seconds or until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon the set aside.
To the pan, add in the diced squash & onion. Season with salt & pepper and cook until soft, stirring occasionaly. This will take around 10 minutes.
Once the veg is soft, stir in the grated garlic & cook for another 30 seconds.
Next, stir in the orzo then pour in all of the butternut stock. Season then bring to a simmer & cook until the pasta is al dente & the sauce has thickened. Make sure to stir regularly. This will take around 10-15 minutes.If the stock has reduced before the orzo has cooked, top it up with some veg stock. To finish, finely chop the crispy sage then add into the risotto with the butter, parmesan & lemon juice. Season with salt & pepper with necessary.
Remove the pan from the heat then let stand for a minute.Spoon the risotto into bowls then top with a drizzle of rapeseed oil, more grated parmesan & a crack of black pepper.
To cook on an Aga, roast the squash on the bottom set of runners in the roasting oven. Fry the onion over the boiling plate & cook the pasta on the simmering plate.
If you have any leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm in a pan with a splash of hot water.
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