Fall Orzo Pasta Salad
on Nov 03, 2026
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This Fall Orzo Pasta Salad is loaded with roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, kale, parmesan, pecans and a delicious herb vinaigrette!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
When autumn arrives, nothing beats a warm, cozy pasta salad packed with seasonal flavors. This Fall Orzo Pasta Salad combines tender orzo cooked in flavorful chicken stock, caramelized roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, earthy kale, and sweet pomegranate seeds. Tossed in a vibrant apple cider herb vinaigrette, it is the ultimate dish for meal prep, weeknight dinners, or Thanksgiving gatherings.
Ingredient List
- Shallot– They offer a delicate, sweet, and mild onion flavor with a subtle hint of garlic and less harsh sharpness than standard yellow or red onions.
- Garlic– I love to use minced garlic from the jar, makes the recipe a bit easier
- Chicken Stock– I always reach for low sodium chicken stock
- Orzo– Substitute gluten-free orzo or wild rice for standard wheat orzo
- Butternut Squash– peeled and cut into small cubes
- Sage Leaves– sage leaves feel very soft when you buy them fresh, that’s what you are looking for
- Bacon– thick bacon is a fan favorite for me but jut make sure its your favorite kind
- Kale– the best way to use kale is too de-stem the leaves and then chop the leaves up
- Parmesan Cheese–
- Pecans– Swap chopped pecans for toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
- Pomegranate Seeds– you usually can find a nice package of seeded pomegranate in the fruit section or ready to eat section of your store
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Apple Cider Vinegar– you can use white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- Thyme– Packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, copper, manganese, and potassium.
- Rosemary– Frequently used fresh or dried to flavor meats (like poultry and lamb), soups, vegetables, and breads.
Step By Step
- Roast the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and caramelized.
- Cook the bacon and sage. While the squash roasts, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. During the last minute, add the fresh sage leaves to the bacon grease and let them crisp up. Transfer the bacon and sage to a paper towel-lined plate. Once cooled, chop the bacon and crumble the sage.
- Cook the orzo. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the dry orzo and toast for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender. Add a splash of extra stock or water if needed.
- Prepare the kale. Add the chopped kale to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of the vinaigrette and massage for about 1 minute to soften the leaves.
- Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, thyme, rosemary, ground sage, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Assemble the salad. Let the cooked orzo cool slightly, then add it to the bowl with the kale. Add the roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, parmesan, pecans, pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
- Finish and serve. Top with extra parmesan. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled!
Smart Short Cuts
Pre-arill Pomegranates: Purchase cup containers of pre-seeded pomegranate arills to avoid mess.
Pre-cut Squash: Buy pre-peeled and diced butternut squash from the produce section to save 10–15 minutes of prep time.
Store-bought Bacon Bits: Use high-quality real bacon crumbles instead of cooking raw slices.
Fall Salad Vibes for the Week
Fall Orzo Pasta Salad
This Fall Orzo Pasta Salad is loaded with roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, kale, parmesan, pecans and a delicious herb vinaigrette!
Ingredients
For the pasta salad
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 ½ cups dry orzo
- 3 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 6 slices bacon
- 4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for roasting
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Roast the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and caramelized.
- Cook the bacon and sage. While the squash roasts, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. During the last minute, add the fresh sage leaves to the bacon grease and let them crisp up. Transfer the bacon and sage to a paper towel-lined plate. Once cooled, chop the bacon and crumble the sage.
- Cook the orzo. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the dry orzo and toast for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender. Add a splash of extra stock or water if needed.
- Prepare the kale. Add the chopped kale to a large serving bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of the vinaigrette and massage for about 1 minute to soften the leaves.
- Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, thyme, rosemary, ground sage, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Assemble the salad. Let the cooked orzo cool slightly, then add it to the bowl with the kale. Add the roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, parmesan, pecans, pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
- Finish and serve. Top with extra parmesan. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled!
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