Butternut Squash Barley (Printable Recipe)

Creamy barley with roasted butternut squash, fresh herbs, and lots of parmesan—super cozy for chilly weather.

# Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Main Ingredients

01 - Salt and ground black pepper, add as needed
02 - 4 garlic cloves, chopped up
03 - 120 ml dry white wine
04 - 1 cup pearl barley
05 - 4 cups reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth
06 - 3 tablespoons olive oil, split up
07 - 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - Small yellow onion, chopped fine (you'll end up with about a cup)
09 - 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped into bite-sized cubes
10 - 50 g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded, plus a little more for topping
11 - Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, more if you want

→ For Garnish

12 - More grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
13 - Chopped fresh parsley

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Fire up your oven to 200°C. Lay parchment on your baking tray to stop sticking.
02 - Mix butternut pieces with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread squash on the tray, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, then shove it in the oven. Bake for half an hour to 35 minutes. Flip them over once halfway so both sides get golden. Take them out when they're soft and browned.
03 - Pour broth into a small pot and let it gently simmer on low so it stays warm.
04 - Pour remaining olive oil in your big pot on medium heat. Toss in onions and garlic. Let them soften and smell awesome—should take five minutes.
05 - Add dried thyme, stir for about a minute. Next, throw in the barley. Stir it around often and give it a couple minutes to get a little color.
06 - Pour in your wine and stir every now and then. Wait till the liquid's gone and the pot’s almost dry.
07 - Put heat to medium-low. Add about 250 ml warmed broth, stir often till it's soaked up. Keep pouring in more broth, always letting it absorb first. Keep at it till barley turns soft and the mix's super creamy.
08 - Once off the heat, gently mix in roasted squash and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add more salt and pepper to taste if you need it.
09 - Dish everything up while it’s hot. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and extra cheese if you feel like it.

# Extra Tips:

01 - If you don’t wanna use wine, swap for extra broth or just a splash of white wine vinegar. For a creamier dish, add more warm broth before serving if you think it needs it.
02 - Barley gets thicker the longer it sits. Splash in a bit more broth when you reheat so it turns creamy again.
03 - You’ll know it’s ready when the barley is nice and soft and everything’s creamy.

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