Creamy Butternut Orzo with Spinach (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
2½ cups butternut squash, cut into tiny ¼-inch cubes
02 -
3 tablespoons good olive oil, you'll use it in parts
03 -
¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus extra to taste
04 -
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 -
1 cup orzo pasta (regular or whole-wheat works great)
06 -
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped or torn
07 -
1 plump clove of garlic, finely minced
08 -
⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese (or feta if you prefer)
# Instructions:
01 -
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toss those butternut squash cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper until well coated. Spread them out on a baking sheet - give them space to get nice and roasted!
02 -
Pop the squash in the oven and let it roast for about 35-40 minutes, giving the pan a shake halfway through. You want the cubes to be tender and getting those lovely caramelized edges.
03 -
While the squash is doing its thing, warm up the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add your minced garlic and let it get fragrant and golden - but watch it closely! Set this gorgeous garlic oil aside.
04 -
Get a pot of well-salted water boiling and cook your orzo according to the package instructions until it's just tender. You want it to still have a little bite to it.
05 -
Drain that orzo and while it's still hot, toss it with the fresh spinach - the heat will gently wilt those greens. Add in your roasted squash, that lovely garlic oil, and crumble in the blue cheese. Give everything a gentle toss and serve it up while it's warm!
# Notes:
01 -
This dish tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to mingle
02 -
Feel free to swap blue cheese with feta or Parmesan if you're not a blue cheese fan
03 -
Perfect for meal prep - keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days