Roasted Butternut Squash and Orzo Salad
I love this salad. Sweet butternut squash, peppery arugula, funky gorgonzola, and crunchy pumpkin seeds. In about 30 minutes you can make this seasonal and fresh salad.
The real perk of this recipe is its versatility. You can swap the butternut squash for any other winter squash such as acorn, buttercup, or delicata - in a pinch, you could even use sweet potatoes. Swapping the arugula for another green like spinach, kale, or swiss chard is also acceptable, just make sure its tender. If you don’t like gorgonzola, skip it or add goat cheese. The dressing is also straight forward and totally riff-able. Add or subtract any flavor you choose, spicy, herby, sweet, get wild!
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed 1/2 inch
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup orzo
4 c arugula lightly packed
4 oz gorgonzola crumbled
1/4 c pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 T rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375
Toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast the squash on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes, stir and roast 15 minutes longer until tender and browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Cook the orzo according to the instructions on the box, strain, rinse with warm water and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the arugula, squash, orzo, and remaining ingredients until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
