Long title, I know! But I just couldn’t imagine leaving anything out, every ingredient is a selling point with this dish. Roasted veggies, pasta, and a sweet-and-tangy vinaigrette = my new winning dish. Plus candied pecans! But enough was enough in the title 🙂
Just a quickie post for you today, jumping straight to the recipe! I’ve got to hurry up and get back to being lazy for the final bits of my Monday off!
serves 4
1/2 box orzo
1 1/2 C Brussels sprouts, quartered
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 large acorn squash, sliced
2 C spinach, slightly torn
1 T brown sugar
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T oil of choice
1 t dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste (I didn’t think any was necessary…your call)
1/3 C candied pecans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and start a pot of water boiling on the stove top.
Coat Brussels sprouts and squash slices with 2 T vegetable oil. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the squash is fork tender and the Brussels sprouts are browning.
When the water boils, add orzo and cook for about 8 minutes, until cooked through.
Meanwhile, whisk together brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, oil, and mustard for dressing.
When everything is done cooking, chop the sliced squash into bite-sized pieces. Toss everything together in one bowl – you can toss the pecans in too or just sprinkle them on top. Wait just a couple minutes to serve, and toss again – the pasta will absorb the vinaigrette and it’s fantastic!
Happy fall pasta salad 🙂
Nutrition facts per serving: Calories: 404; Calories from Fat: 161; Total Fat: 17.9g; Saturated Fat: 2.1g; Sodium: 36mg; Total Carbohydrates: 51.7g; Dietary Fiber: 5.0g; Sugars: 5.4g; Protein: 9.7g
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