Italian Sausage Orzo

Name: Italian Sausage Orzo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 lb ground Italian sausage; 1/2 medium onion chopped; 3-4 cloves garlic minced; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional, or more to taste; 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta; 2 cups chicken broth; 1 cup heavy/whipping cream; 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan; 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach; Salt & pepper to taste

5 steps

Prep:10minCook:20min

This one pot Italian sausage orzo recipe is easy, creamy, and comes together fast for a comforting and delicious weeknight dinner.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:40:57 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories543 kcal (27%)

Total Fat35.9 g (51%)

Carbs28 g (11%)

Sugars4.9 g (5%)

Protein29.1 g (58%)

Sodium1466.6 mg (73%)

Fiber4.8 g (17%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

1 lbground italian sausage

0.5onion

medium, chopped

3 clovesgarlic

minced

½ teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes

optional, or more to taste

1 cuporzo pasta

uncooked

2 cupschicken broth

1 cupheavy cream

½ cupparmesan

freshly grated

2 cupsfresh baby spinach

Instructions

Step 1

Brown ground sausage over medium-high heat, cook it for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Stir in the onions and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so, until the sausage is nicely browned and the onion has softened.

Step 3

Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and orzo, and cook for around 30 seconds.

Step 4

Stir in the chicken broth and cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often (or else the orzo may stick to the bottom of the pot). You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should gently bubble vs. boil (you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked).

Step 5

Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.