![Squash with orzo & roasted garlic & feta sauce A serving of squash with orzo & roasted garlic & feta sauce](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2022/01/Squash-with-orzo-and-roasted-garlic-and-feta-sauce-8f725c2.jpg?quality=90&resize=556,505)
Squash with orzo & roasted garlic & feta sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 garlic bulb
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium squash (about 800g), peeled, halved and cut into 2-3cm wedges
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 200g orzo
- 1 large leek, halved lengthways and finely sliced
- ½ tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
- 150ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the sauce
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Remove the outer layers of the garlic bulb and slice off the root end, being careful to not cut too deep into the cloves. Put on a small sheet of foil, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle over a pinch of salt. Scrunch to enclose the garlic in the foil and bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool still wrapped in the foil.
- STEP 2
Meanwhile, toss the squash with 2 tbsp of the oil, the paprika and some seasoning. Tip onto a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 mins, turning halfway, until the squash is tender and has some colour.
- STEP 3
For the sauce, combine the feta, yogurt, lemon juice and 4 of the roasted garlic cloves (squeezing the flesh out of the skins) to create a smooth paste. It should be thick but pourable – add up to 2 tbsp water to loosen if needed. Set aside.
- STEP 4
Cook the orzo in a pan of salted water over a medium heat for 4-5 mins until it’s cooked but still has bite. Drain, reserving a cupful of the orzo water and cool in a sieve under cold running water.
- STEP 5
Cook the leek with 1 tbsp oil and the butter over a medium heat in a large pan, stirring regularly, for 5 mins. Add the preserved lemon and the flesh of 3 roasted garlic cloves, then mash together well. Once the leeks are translucent, tip in the cooked orzo, stock and a splash of the pasta cooking water. Stir for a minute to warm through the orzo. Mix in half of the parsley.
- STEP 6
Spoon the orzo and leeks onto plates, top with the squash and drizzle over the feta sauce. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.