Butternut Squash With Whole Grains

Week 517. Year 10. Tommy is 43. Winter quiet. The journal open on the kitchen table. The recipes accumulating. Mama (70) aging, needing more help. The gumbo on the stove because winter demands gumbo the way spring demands crawfish and the demanding is the tradition and the tradition is the life.

Made red beans and rice this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The bayou runs on.

The red beans carried the week, but it’s the quiet moments after — when Mama is settled, the journal is closed, and the kitchen still smells like something warm — where a dish like this one lives. Butternut Squash With Whole Grains doesn’t shout the way gumbo does, but it holds the same principle: good ingredients, honest heat, a pot that rewards patience. In a winter that demands steadiness, this recipe is steadiness on a plate.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup farro, rinsed
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roast the squash. Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast 25—30 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and tender at the edges.
Cook the farro. While squash roasts, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add farro, reduce heat to a steady simmer, cover, and cook 25—30 minutes until farro is tender and most of the broth is absorbed. Drain any excess liquid.
Build the base. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 6—8 minutes until softened and translucent. Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Combine. Add cooked farro to the skillet and stir to coat with the aromatics. Gently fold in the roasted squash. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl or plate directly. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Butternut Squash With Whole Grains — Winter Warmth, Bayou Steady