Better than expected butternut squash orzo

William went crazy for this orzo dish, spiked with sweet butternut squash, brown butter, roasted hazelnuts and sage. Thanks to fresh, local produce and a gratuitous helping of fat—why not add butter and cream—the orzo far exceeded my expectations. It was creamy, rich (but not obnoxiously so) and chock full of nutty flavor.

What made the difference?

Walnuts or pine nuts would have worked, but roasted hazelnuts transformed the dish. Olive oil would have coated the pasta just fine, but brown butter worked to amp up the hazelnut flavor. Also, I’m usually I’m lazy with butternut squash, roasting unpeeled squash halves and peeling them once they’ve cooled. For this orzo,  I peeled, diced, and roasted the raw squash. That way, a larger surface area of the sweet squash was able to caramelize, further intensifying its flavor.

This orzo is a good example of taking simple (cheap) ingredients and squeezing every ounce of flavor from them. Instead of a ho hum, not-to-be repeated vegetarian dinner, this is a dish my husband will request and one I’ll gladly repeat when there’s fresh squash available.

Roasted Butternut Squash Orzo
1 medium butternut squash,  peeled and diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups orzo pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 gloves garlic minced
10 sage leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.

Toss butternut squash in a olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread squash onto a rimed baking sheet, and roast for 30 minutes. Remove squash from oven, and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a medium frying pan on medium heat. Add butter, and brown. Stir in onions, and cook until soft—about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sage, and cook 1 minute more.

In a large bowl, combine squash, orzo, brown butter mixture, Parmesan, and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta into bowls and top with hazelnuts.

Serves 4

Tagged as: brown butter, butternut squash, hazelnuts, orzo, sage