Serves 4 as a main dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of dry orzo pasta
- 1 medium butternut squash – peeled and cut into 1” cubes
- 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 8 ounces of 21/25 or 26/30 shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 bunch of Swiss chard (or other green like spinach or kale) – cleaned, stems removed and cut into half lengthwise and roughly chopped into strips
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – divided into 2
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
For the butternut squash
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Toss butternut squash cubes with 1 tablespoon of oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper
- Spread butternut squash evenly on baking sheet
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (edges should be slightly browned) – toss squash halfway through baking
For the orzo
- Pasta should be prepared so that it finishes at the same time as the squash
- Cook orzo pasta according to instructions to al dente
- Drain and reserve pasta
For the Swiss chard and shrimp
- Heat oil in sauté pan over med high heat until shimmering
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, but do not allow to brown
- Add Swiss chard and sauté for 5 minutes
- Add shrimp to the Swiss chard and sauté for 8 minutes then remove from heat.
To finish preparation
- Pour hot orzo into 8” to 9” casserole dish
- Spread 4oz of blue cheese crumbles evenly over orzo
- Add cooked squash cubes
- Add prepared Swiss Chard and shrimp
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Stir to mix everything together and serve
