Y’all. No one needs to know how easy this pumpkin orzo recipe is. It can be our little secret.
I made this dish on a busy weeknight, but the strong pumpkin and sage make me feel like this is a dish that you could totally pass at the holiday table, too. You could serve it up as a side or even make it the main event, though you may need to double or triple the recipe for a crowd.
Related: Cauliflower Comfort Bake
Darrol Henry has been super picky lately. Honestly, I’ve been kind of reaching the end of my rope. He won’t even eat avocado right now, which has always been my default when he refuses all other food. I’ve always been into offering him choices, but a recent comment on this post about picky eaters gave me pause. Was I giving him too many choices? And was I creating too much work for myself preparing finger food for him plus a meal for me and Dave? I don’t do that every night, but lately it’s been happening more and more.
This pumpkin orzo was me trying to get back to cooking one meal that we all share, and his reaction was such a relief! Darrol Henry didn’t just eat this up. He made yummy sounds with every bite. It melted my little heart. Guess who has a new favorite recipe?
When I told my mom that we were having pumpkin orzo with kale and white beans for supper, she said, “That sounds fancy!” And to be honest, it tastes fancy. But you guys. It’s not fancy. It takes maybe 30 minutes to make, and everything happens in a single pot.
The trick to making this pumpkin orzo recipe easy is the timing. Since you’re not cooking a ton of pasta, you can do it right in your Dutch oven. The white beans and the orzo can both drain in the same colander, which saves yet another dish.
Related: How to Cook Perfect Pasta, Every Time
The pumpkin in this recipe comes straight out of a can, so there’s no baking pan to clean up. And if you fry the veggies in the same Dutch oven you used for the pasta, this pumpkin orzo truly is a one-pot meal.
Creamy Pumpkin Orzo
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup dry orzo, cooked and drained
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 an onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, cut into 1/2″ rounds (1 cup after cutting)
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cups kale, chopped super fine in a food processor
- 1 15 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
- 1/3 cup soy or almond milk
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- salt and pepper, to taste
- roasted, salted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven on medium high. Sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic until the onions begin to soften. Add the kale and cook a few more minutes to soften.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the pumpkin seeds). Stir really well, so everything is nice and incorporated. You can serve it right now, or you can bake it if you prefer a casserole with a nice crust on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, top with the pumpkin seeds (if you’re using them), and serve.
Leave a Reply