My butternut squash orzo with sausage and kale is a cozy one pan meal idea. Hearty, balanced and super simple, it's the best for cold weather.
Cozy meal incoming! Now that the temperature is dropping, most nights I'm all for pasta, soups, and stews. Butternut squash orzo with sausage and kale is the newest recipe is my rotation because it's warming, comforting and a balanced meal. The secret to an extra flavorful dish is cooking the orzo in bone broth, which gives it a bonus protein boost too.
Orzo with sausage, kale and butternut squash is just one of those hearty, seasonal meals my family always comes back to. I hope yours loves it too!
Why This Recipe is Dietitian Approved
- Orange fall veggies. Butternut squash is rich in beta-carotene, which gets converted to vitamin A in our body. It's also packed with vitamin C and fibre. These nutrients are important in decreasing inflammation, supporting our immune system, and keeping our eyes healthy.
- One pan meal. Minimal dishes, minimal mess.
- Leafy greens. Did you know that one cup of kale has 68% of your vitamin K requirements? Orzo with kale is the way to go!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Turkey sausage
- Red onion
- Garlic cloves
- Butternut squash
- Cherry tomatoes
- Dried sage
- Dried thyme
- Red pepper flakes
- Low sodium chicken broth (or bone broth)
- Dried orzo
- Kale
- Feta
Instructions
Heat an oven safe cast iron pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the sausage meat and cook until the meat is no longer pink in colour. Use a spatula to form a well in the center of the meat, add garlic and onions. Cook until fragrant and onions are translucent in colour (about 3 minutes).
Add butternut squash, tomatoes, sage, thyme and red pepper flakes. Stir.
Reduce heat to low, add chicken broth and bring to a low boil.
Once boiling, add orzo, stir and cover. Allow orzo to simmer until fully cooked (about 10 minutes). You may need to stir periodically, scraping the bottom of the pan to ensure the orzo does not stick.
Stir in kale, 1 cup at a time until it wilts.
Top with feta cheese. To melt the cheese, broil at 500F for about 5 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use a gluten-free orzo like this one.
To make dairy-free: Swap for a dairy-free feta like this or use another dairy-free cheese of choice.
To make vegetarian: Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth. Swap the sausages with chickpeas or a ground meat substitute of choice.
To make vegan: Try my vegan pasta bake!
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.
Missing an ingredient? Try these:
- Orzo: Swap for another small pasta shape like ditalini.
- Turkey sausage: Use any type of sausage you like. You can also use regular ground meat, however you will need to adjust the seasoning as most sausage comes pre-seasoned.
- Kale: Swap for spinach.
- Chicken broth: Swap for vegetable broth or bone broth for more protein.
Equipment
Storage
Leftover butternut squash orzo can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
To freeze, pour into a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. The orzo can be defrosted in the fridge overnight. Reheat by adding contents to an oven safe dish, cover with tinfoil and bake for about 40 minutes at 375F.
Top Tip
To remove the casing from the sausage, use a sharp knife to gently cut a slit lengthwise from end to end.
When adding the kale, you will need to do it in batches. Add 1 cup at a time and stir until it wilts to help fit it all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although the casing is edible, I like removing the casing for pasta skillets like this one as it allows you to use the ground meat while still getting all the flavours of the sausage!
I love the bone broth from Kettle and Fire! It's lower in sodium and higher in protein making it a great addition to soups and skillet meals.
I used my 10.25"cast iron skillet!
Yes! You can throw it in frozen; no defrosting necessary. The best time saver, especially if you hate cutting squash like me!
More Cozy Meal Recipes
Bring on the hearty winter meals!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make butternut squash orzo, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash and Sausage Orzo with Kale (One Pan)
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb mild italian turkey sausages casing removed
- ½ red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 cup butternut squash diced (fresh or frozen) *
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or bone broth
- 1.5 cups dried orzo
- 4 cups kale de-stemmed and chopped
- 1 cup feta crumbled
Instructions
- Heat an oven safe cast iron pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the sausage meat, using the back of a spatula to break the meat into small pieces,and cook until the meat is no longer pink in colour. Use a spatula to form a well in the center of the meat, add garlic and onions. Cook until fragrant and onions are translucent in colour (about 3 minutes).
- Add butternut squash, tomatoes, sage, thyme and red pepper flakes. Stir.
- Reduce heat to low, add chicken broth and bring to a low boil.
- Once boiling, add orzo, stir and cover. Allow orzo to simmer until fully cooked (about 10 minutes). You may need to stir periodically, scraping the bottom of the pan to ensure the orzo does not stick.
- Stir in kale, 1 cup at a time until it wilts. Top with feta cheese. To melt the cheese, broil at 500F for about 5 minutes.
Meg
So easy and yummy. We loved the spice from the red pepper flakes and the sweet from the squash. We will be making this again!
Laura
First time we made anything from your site and it was a major success! Everyone love it and said it was a definite do over. Thanks for coming up with the ideas and recipes. Two thumbs up!
Tori
If using fresh butternut squash, should we cook it ahead of time in the oven? I can not find in the recipe if there is any other steps needed for fresh squash
Nicole Addison
Hi Tori- nope! The fresh butternut squash will cook in the liquid~
Sandy
My family loved this one. I love that you can fit so many nutritious veggies into such a tasty meal. We used Italian sausage from the local market and the spices worked nicely.
Brandon
This is my new favourite recipe!! It’s perfect for weeknight dinners and meal prep lunches.
Rebecca Comeau
Everyone in the family LOVED this! I used mostly turkey sausage and one Italian pork to add some more Italian favouring when I forgot spices at the store and it was perfect! This is a staple in our house now and SO easy/quick!
Kat
Delicious and easy! I do wish I cut the butternut squash into smaller pieces so they cooked more though, they weren’t as soft as I normally like.
Nicole
This one pan dinner is so easy to make, nutritious, and most importantly easy and quick to make. It’s my go to every week! Thanks!
Naomi
I’ve made this recipe over 5x and it’s amazing everytime. I like to sub sweet potato for the butternut squash. Great for meal prep.
Mel
I just made this recipe for my family and loved it!! Thanks for the delicious and nutritious ideas.
Shannon
I am a flight attendant that has to pack my own food for several days at a time and this has become an absolute STAPLE!!! Travels really well and TASTES amazing! I love knowing I’m getting great nutrients with this recipe as that’s not always easy on the road. I always do taste tests with my fellow cabin crew and they always ask for the link! One of my absolute favs that will be with me for a long long time!
Stephanie
This is delicious! We have added it to our regular rotation of meals. Feels like comfort food, but it is packed with veggies. The fact that it uses only one pan is also fantastic for this working mom.
Stephanie
This was such a hit with my family! My kids loved it so much they went back for seconds 🙂 I loved that it was super easy to make, healthy and one pan made for easy clean up. We will definitely make this on regular week night meal rotation.
Sherry Anderson
This was so easy, quick and delicious! I used frozen chopped kale and butternut squash which made it even quicker and simpler. Loved the spice of the read pepper flakes. I would definitely make again. Think of swapping out the squash for cherry tomatoes for a more spring like flair!
Olivia Meszaros
Delicious recipe for meal prep! Holds over great and reheats even better for lunch!
Dana
This is a great one pan recipe! Super straight forward to throw together and stores well. Still tasted amazing as leftovers.
Nikki
Made this for the first time last night & it was amazing! I used honey garlic sausage instead and doubled the butternut squash. Would recommend & make again!