Cheesy Bacon and Butternut Squash Orzo
This 30-minute Butternut Squash Orzo with smoky bacon and melty gouda cheese has so much flavor and texture! The squash is sautéed on the stovetop in bacon fat, which infuses it with delicious smoky flavor and takes a lot less time than roasting. Fresh basil and arugula add freshness and beautiful green color.
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 7 pieces of bacon, diced
- 10 ounces dried orzo pasta (I use this gluten-free one)
- 2 cups (300 grams) medium diced butternut squash (should be 1/2 inch cubes, you want to make sure they are small so that they don't take too long to cook)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt & black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups arugula
- 2/3 cup of half-n-half
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 1/4 cups shredded gouda cheese
- juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
Instructions
- Start the diced bacon in a cold pan over medium heat. Cook bacon until deliciously crispy, then remove it from pan with slotted spoon and set on a paper towel. Leave all the bacon fat and crispy bits in pan.
- Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions in your saucepan, with a teaspoon of salt. When you go to drain it, keep 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and set aside.
- To the bacon fat, add squash, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and onion powder, cooking over medium heat. Stir to coat, and cover skillet. Let cook for 7 minutes, remove lid, and using a fork, test the squash to see if it easily slides through. Then taste a cube to make sure it is cooked through.
- Add garlic to pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then turn heat down to low and add arugula, 1/2 of the cooked bacon, and orzo. Stir to combine. Add half-n-half, stirring, then the cheese. Stir to combine and melt cheese. At this point, if it seems a little too thick, you can add reserved pasta water, starting with 1/4 cup and adding more if needed.
- Add lemon, 10 to 15 cracks of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir. Then top with remaining bacon and basil. Serve immediately. 😊
