Butternut squash + walnut orzo
This is one of my ultimate favvvv recipes, it’s suuuper fresh made with whole butternut squash! I actually adapted it from one I used to make for myself with big tubes of rigatoni pasta, and instead I made it with orzo so that I could pre-load it onto a spoon for my little one when she was 6-7 months old
It’s packed with omega-3 and iron from the walnuts, and vitamin A and gut boosting fibre from the butternut squash!
YOU WILL NEED:
300g butternut squash, skin removed, cubed
300g orzo pasta
One no-salt / low-salt stock cube
2 garlic cloves, peeled, and sliced
Small handful of sage leaves picked from the stems
Two tablespoons of butter (or plant / dairy free alternative)
50g walnuts
Black pepper
One cup of your choice of milk (230mls) (e.g. almond milk, oat milk, or cow’s milk)
One ball (around 125g) of mozzarella, torn into pieces (leave this step out if making dairy free)
TO MAKE:
Preheat the air-fryer to 180 degrees.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the butternut squash cubes before adding to air-fryer tray. Air-fry the butternut squash cubes for 15 mins or until browning (or roast in oven for 20-25 mins). Remove from the tray to cool
Boil orzo as per packet instructions adding one stock cube to the cooking water (usually boiled for 10-12 mins). Drain the orzo and return to the pan with a drizzle of oil stirred through to prevent sticking. Remove the pan from the heat
Brown your butter in a pan on a medium heat, then add the sliced garlic, walnuts and sage leaves and season with black pepper. Cook for 2-3 mins then remove from the heat.
Add the butternut squash to the pan and stir to coat the squash in the sage-infused butter mix
Add the cooked butternut squash, butter and sage leave mix and the almond milk to a blender and whizz until you have a smooth puree
Return the butternut squash puree to the pan with the drained pasta on a low-medium heat and stir through the torn mozzarella and allow to melt before serving
Allergens:
This recipe contains walnuts and cheese (milk)*
*To make dairy-free / vegan: use dairy-free / plant-based butter alternative and a plant-based milk alternative, and leave out the mozzarella