Roasted Carrot & Butternut Orzo
by:
Initially, I really wanted to make a rice dish with roasted butternut squash, & then I found these gorgeous red carrots at the Farmers Market, whose flavor is sweeter compared to their orange counterparts. After a while, I decided that orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, would give the same look but with a better texture. I also prefer sage & rosemary with pasta more than I do rice. I really think you will like this dish! The Meyer lemon brightens the dish without being too acidic & the pistachios provide a wonderful crunch.
ingredients
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serves: 8-10
1 2-3 pound butternut squash
8 medium size carrots, preferably red carrots
extra virgin olive oil
3 large shallots
6 large sage leaves
1 4-6 inch sprig rosemary
cups 1½ whole wheat orzo
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 bunch Italian or flat-leaf parsley
1 Meyer lemon
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount per Serving
Calories: 225
- Total Fat: 5.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 71.4 mg
- Total Carbs: 42.9 g
- Dietary Fiber: 8.2 g
- Sugars: 9.3 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
preparation
1. Preheat your oven to 400˚.
2. Peel the butternut squash. Cut the butternut squash into approximately ¾-inch cubes. You want about 3 cups total. Place in a bowl large enough to hold both the squash & carrots.
3. Rince & dry the carrots. Do not peel the carrots, especially if using red carrots...you will lose the beautiful red color. Cut the carrots into ¾-inch cubes, or as close to that as possible. You should have about 3 cups of the carrots as well. Place in the bowl with the squash.
4. Drizzle the carrots & squash with olive oil. Toss well to combine. Set aside.
5. Remove the outer skin of the shallots, then cut into large chunks...cutting each shallot in half, then cutting each half into 2 will achieve this. Drizzle with olive oil.
6. Place the carrots, squash & shallots on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or a Silpat® (a) Spinkle with kosher salt. Roast the veggies for no more than 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven (b). You want the veggies soft, but not mushy.
7. While the veggies are roasting, mince the sage (a) & rosemary leaves (b). Shell the pistachios, if necessary (c).
8. Pour 2 cups of salted water in a saucepan or pot large enough to hold the orzo & veggies...about a 3-4 quart vessel will do. Add the minced rosemary & sage to the water.
9. Bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo. Cook the orzo till al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain any water from the pasta.
10. Once the veggies are roasted, remove from the oven & set aside until the orzo is cooked.
11. When the orzo is ready, mix in the carrots, squash, shallots & pistachios.
12. Finely chop the parsley & mix into the orzo mixture.
13. Juice the Meyer lemon & add to the orzo, along with a little extra olive oil, if needed. Mix well to combine. Season with additional kosher salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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