Description
A hearty, creamy pasta dish featuring tender delicata squash, perfectly cooked orzo, and fresh thyme, all made in one pot for easy cleanup and maximum flavor.
Ingredients
For the One Pot Magic:
- 1 medium delicata squash (about 1–1½ lb), seeded and sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups diced onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
- 12 oz (about 2½ cups) orzo pasta
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Sauté those aromatics (3-4 minutes): Heat up that olive oil in your big pan over medium heat. Throw in the onion and garlic and let them get all soft and fragrant. This is when your kitchen starts smelling like dinner instead of chaos.
2. Add squash & thyme (2-3 minutes): Toss in the sliced delicata, thyme, salt, and pepper. Give everything a good stir and let it cook for a couple minutes. The squash should start getting tender but don’t let it turn to mush.
3. Add orzo & broth: Stir in orzo, pour in broth. Bring to boil. Simple as that.
4. Simmer risotto-style (8-10 minutes): Drop the heat to low and let everything bubble away, stirring every now and then. This stirring is crucial – it’s what makes the orzo release all that good starch and turn creamy. You’ll know it’s done when the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has disappeared.
5. Finish with the good stuff: Turn off heat. Stir in butter and cheese until creamy. Pull out thyme stems. Taste it, add more salt if needed.
6. Serve hot: Scoop into bowls and eat immediately.
Notes
Tips that work:
Stir sometimes but not constantly – you want starch release without mushy squash
If orzo looks dry before done, add more broth bit by bit
Pull out thyme stems before serving – nobody wants woody bits
Don’t do this:
Overcrowd the pan – cook in batches if your pan is small
Add all broth at once if pan is tiny – everything should fit
Skip the off-heat butter/cheese step – this makes it restaurant good
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 285 per serving
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 10mg