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One pot recipes are the best for easy dinners. Serve up this vegetarian one pot orzo with butternut squash for a dinner that everyone will love!
Orzo is one of my favourite pastas. It’s so different from all other types of pasta, in this recipe it cooks almost more like risotto rather than a classic pasta dish.
I normally use it in summer dishes like this Greek orzo salad or this summer orzo salad but it’s so delicious that I definitely need an excuse to eat it all year round.
Click here to pin this recipe for later!
One of my new favourite things to do is to come up with ways to ‘vegetarianise’ meals that would normally have meat in them.
Whether that’s a classic like shepherd’s pie or toad in the hole or something like this one pot orzo. When I came across this recipe for skillet chicken and orzo on Bon Appetit the words ‘buttery orzo’ were enough to convince me I needed to try this recipe.
But, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times, Will and I are working to eat less meat so I wanted to come up with a veggie version which was still all made in one skillet.
And it turned out to be one of my all time favourite butternut squash recipes!
Why we love this one pot orzo with roasted butternut squash:
Butternut squash is one of the first things I turn to when I want to make a vegetarian dinner. Not only is it filling enough to be the main part of a meal, it’s also pretty much peak autumn, which is never a bad thing, right?
My favourite part about this meal is that the squash is cooked in butter, first over a high heat for five minutes until it’s starting to get all caramelised around the edges and then roasted for 40 minutes or so.
Doing so means that the squash takes on so much flavour and makes it the perfect thing to use in a vegetarian meal.
One Pot Orzo with Roasted Butternut Squash Ingredients:
- Butternut Squash
- Butter – Extra can be used in these lime and mint roast chicken sandwiches
- Salt and Pepper
- Leeks
- Garlic
- Thyme Sprigs
- Orzo
- White Wine – Use up leftover in these creamy mushrooms with mascarpone polenta…or just drink it!
- Vegetable Stock
- Parmesan Cheese
Keep scrolling to get the full recipe for the one pot orzo with roasted butternut squash…
Once the butternut squash has finished roasting the rest of the recipe is made on the hob.
Leeks, garlic and thyme are cooked gently in butter before the orzo is added to the skillet and cooked with vegetable stock added a little at a time until it’s all soaked up.
Then it’s just a case of piling all the butternut squash on top and sprinkling with loads of parmesan. And I mean loads of parmesan.
One Pot Orzo with Roasted Butternut Squash Instructions:
- Heat the oven and add butter to a skillet over a medium-high heat. Caramelise the butternut squash with salt and pepper for 5 minutes then put in the oven and cook for 40 minutes.
- Scoop out the butternut squash and put the skillet back on the heat. Add more butter and cook the leek, garlic and thyme with more salt and pepper.
- Add the orzo and toast for a couple of minutes then add the wine followed by the stock, a little at a time, until the orzo is cooked. Add the squash back to the skillet and serve with parmesan.
Equipment you need to make this recipe…
Keep scrolling to get the full printable recipe…
Do I need to peel butternut squash before roasting?
The skin on butternut squash is tough so is better removed before roasting which you can easily do with a vegetable peeler. If it’s difficult to remove you can put the squash in the microwave for a minute to help soften it.
Want more? Try these other butternut squash recipes!
- Butternut Squash Black Bean Turkey Chilli
- Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus
- Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Goat’s Cheese
- Roasted Butternut & Pancetta Risotto with Sage Oil
- Four Cheese Butternut Squash Lasagne with Spinach
One Pot Orzo with Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 3 tbsp Butter
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Leeks chopped
- 1 tsp Garlic crushed
- 3 Thyme Sprigs
- 250 g Orzo
- 100 ml White Wine
- 600 ml Vegetable Stock
- Parmesan grated, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Add 2 tbsp of the butter to the skillet over a medium-high heat and tip in the butternut squash and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the squash is darkening around the edges then transfer to the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes until soft.
- When the squash is cooked transfer to a bowl and place the skillet back over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining tbsp of butter, the leek, garlic and thyme sprigs to the skillet with lots of salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until softened then add the orzo and toast in the hot skillet for a couple of minutes until smelling toasty.
- Pour the wine into the skillet and cook until the liquid has been absorbed which should only take a minute then start adding the stock, a little at a time in the same way you would a make a risotto, stirring constantly and waiting until each addition has been absorbed before adding more. When all the liquid has been added and the orzo is al dente return the roasted squash to the skillet. Serve topped with plenty of parmesan.
Notes
If you like the look of this recipe make sure you pin it for later!
13 Comments
Allison
08/10/2018 at 11:06 PMMy family would love this! Pinning it and trying it soon.
Amy
09/10/2018 at 8:52 AMThanks Allison 🙂
Danielle
09/10/2018 at 1:34 AMThis looks delicious! I love anything with butternut squash!
Amy
09/10/2018 at 8:52 AMThanks Danielle!
Michelle
09/10/2018 at 1:47 AMYour photos are gorgeous! This orzo looks absolutely delicious and so perfect for fall. I can’t wait to try it 😀
Amy
09/10/2018 at 8:51 AMThanks so much Michelle 🙂
Anna
09/10/2018 at 2:00 AMI’m trying to eat less meat and this butternut squash orzo recipe sounds delicious. I love one pot meals too 🙂
Amy
09/10/2018 at 8:51 AMThanks Anna!
AnnMarie
15/10/2018 at 6:38 PMMeasurements are in ml???? How much is 250 ml or orzo and 650ml of stock? Really
Amy
15/10/2018 at 7:48 PMHi AnnMarie, if you click the link below the list of ingredients it will show you US measurements. Hope that helps!
Jessi
28/10/2020 at 3:41 AMI made this recipe for my friends and we loved every second of every bite! Delicious! I would probably put more thyme next time!
Amy
28/10/2020 at 1:49 PMThanks so much Jessi!
Kaitlin M OConnor
13/11/2020 at 12:07 AMThis was exactly what I was looking for! Made it tonight, and it was delicious. I was worried that it was too much liquid, but it cooked down perfectly. Thank you!