This sweet potato, kale and pancetta orzo is like autumn in a skillet and I cannot get enough of it. Golden brown sweet potatoes with salty pancetta and some slightly bitter kale wilted over orzo that is tossed in a sauce full of warm spiciness tastes like getting a big bear hug on a breezy day by someone in a super cozy sweater (specific, I know, but surprisingly accurate).
This dish can be enjoyed anywhere from piping hot to room temperature, so there is literally no excuse not to take it to the next backyard barbecue you are attending and wow everyone with how you gathered all of the flavors of fall into one skillet.
Let’s get this started…
Begin by gathering 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed, 8 ounces of orzo, 1 tablespoon of butter, 4 ounces of cubed pancetta, 1 large finely diced shallot, 2 finely minced cloves of garlic, 4 kale leaves chopped with the stems removed, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 2/3 cup of beef broth, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper.
Start by crisping up 4 ounces of pancetta in a large skillet.
While the pancetta is crisping up, bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add a big pinch of salt and the orzo and cook according to manufacturers instructions. Once the orzo is cooked, drain it and toss it in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set the orzo aside for now.
Once the pancetta is golden brown and crispy, transfer the it onto a paper towel lined plate and set it aside. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the sweet potatoes and toss them in the fat rendered from the pancetta.
Cook the sweet potatoes until they begin to soften and the edges become golden brown. This should take about 10 minutes over medium heat.
Once the sweet potatoes have started to soften, push them over to one side of the pan and add the diced shallot and minced garlic. Let this cook for about 3 minutes, stirring pretty consistently and once the shallots have softened and the garlic is fragrant, stir to combine with the sweet potatoes and push the combination over to the side of the skillet once again.
Add 1/2 cup of beef broth, 2/3 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 red pepper flakes and bring the mixture up to a simmer.
Once the beef broth and heavy cream begins to thicken a bit, add the cooked orzo and crispy pancetta and toss everything together.
Reduce the heat to medium low and place the kale on top of the orzo mixture. Cover the skillet and allow the kale to wilt for about 90 seconds. Once the kale has wilted, toss everything together and transfer the skillet to a heat proof surface.
Although this is pretty much perfection at this point, shave a little fresh parmesan over the sweet potato, kale and pancetta orzo….
… and now you have perfection.
Serve this sweet potato, kale and pancetta orzo with some blackened salmon or lemon cream chicken or literally anything you can think of! If I have leftovers (which rarely happens), I love it for lunch. Nothing else needed, just a big bowl of sweet potato, kale and pancetta orzo aka my new favorite side dish.
Happy fall everyone! Enjoy!
Sweet Potato, Kale and Pancetta Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cubed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces orzo
- 4 ounces pancetta, cubed
- 1 large shallot, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 4 large kale leaves, stem removed, chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- parmesan, grated (garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil
- Once boiling, add a large pinch of salt and the orzo
- Boil the orzo according the manufactures instructions
- Once cooked, drain the orzo and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Toss the cooked orzo in the olive oil until it is lightly coated and set aside
- Brown 4 ounces of pancetta until crispy in a large skillet over medium heat
- Transfer the crisp pancetta onto a paper towel lined plate and set aside
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the cubed sweet potato into the skillet and toss it in the fat rendered from the pancetta
- Allow the sweet potato to become soft and the edges to begin to brown a bit
- Push the sweet potatoes to the side of the skillet and add the shallots and garlic to the other side
- Cook the shallots and garlic for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly
- Mix to combine the shallots, garlic an sweet potatoes and then push the combination to the side of the skillet
- Add 1/2 cup of beef broth, 2/3 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and bring the mixture to a simmer
- Simmer until the beef broth and heavy cream begins to thicken a bit
- Add the cooked orzo and crisped pancetta and toss everything together
- Place the chopped kale over the orzo mixture and cover the skillet
- Allow the kale to wilt for about 90 seconds and then toss to combine the wilted kale with the other ingredients
- Transfer the skillet onto a heat proof surface
- Garnish with grated parmesan and enjoy
