Creamy Orzo Pasta

Ingredients:

Roasted butternut squash:
12 oz butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (leaves only, no sprigs)

Orzo:
1.5 cup orzo uncooked
5 cloves garlic minced
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
2.5 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
5 oz spinach fresh
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Fresh thyme

Directions:

Roast Butternut Squash
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread it in one layer, without overcrowding.
Roast in the preheated oven on the middle rack at 400 F for 20 or 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
Proceed with the rest of the recipe while you roast the squash.

Cook orzo
To a large, high-sided skillet, add 1.5 cup of uncooked orzo, 5 cloves of minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the orzo on medium heat, stirring, for about 3 minutes until browned.
Add 2.5 cups of chicken stock, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning to the skillet with orzo. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the orzo is cooked through.
Add spinach, and stir it in until it wilts on low-medium heat.
Add ½ cup of heavy cream, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Assembly
Add roasted butternut squash to the cooked orzo. Top with fresh thyme.

I await your comments! Enjoy!