I had this salad as a side dish in an adorable French Bistro in upstate New York. The minute I tasted this, I knew I had to try to recreate this at home. This amazing salad is served slightly warm or at room temperature and couldn’t be any easier – only five ingredients! I’m not sure I captured the original dish exactly, but I like my version better.
Orzo Butternut Squash Salad (6 First Course Servings):
1 cup diced raw butternut squash (see picture below)
8 oz uncooked orzo pasta
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 stick of unsalted butter
8 fresh sage leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a medium size sauce pan, bring good amount of water to a boil. Add squash and orzo to water, bring back to a boil and let cook for 12 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet. Add sage leaves and fry until leaves become dark and fragrant and butter begins to brown (approx 7-9 minutes). Remove sage leaves and drain on paper towel. In large mixing bowl, add orzo and squash. Drizzle brown butter in mixing bowl and add Parmesan cheese. Stir gently to combine. Salt and pepper cooked pasta to taste. Mold each serving in a ramekin or round cookie cutter. Garnish with fried sage leaves.
