Description
Hearty Italian sausage orzo brings Mediterranean comfort to your dinner table. Savory spices and creamy pasta blend seamlessly, creating a quick, satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 16 ounces (454 grams) Italian sausage
- 1 cup (200 grams) uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) chicken broth
- 2 cups (60 grams) fresh baby spinach
Dairy and Cream Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy/whipping cream
- ½ cup (50 grams) freshly grated parmesan
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high temperature and crumble Italian sausage meat into the pan, cooking until it begins to brown and release its savory flavors.
- Add diced onions to the sausage and continue sautéing, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fully golden and the onions become translucent and soft.
- Introduce minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the mixture, stirring quickly to prevent burning, then immediately incorporate the orzo, toasting the pasta for approximately 30 seconds.
- Pour chicken broth and cream into the pot, allowing the liquid to gently bubble. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low to ensure a controlled simmer, stirring frequently to prevent orzo from sticking to the bottom.
- Cook the orzo uncovered for about 10 minutes, maintaining a consistent, gentle bubbling consistency until the pasta reaches an al dente texture and absorbs most of the liquid.
- Remove the pot from heat and fold in freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh spinach, covering the pot to let the residual warmth wilt the greens and create a creamy consistency.
- Allow the dish to rest for 3-5 minutes, letting the sauce thicken and flavors meld together. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed before serving immediately.
Notes
- Quickly brown Italian sausage for deep, rich flavor development before adding other ingredients.
- Adjust heat while cooking orzo to maintain gentle bubbling, preventing burning or excessive liquid reduction.
- Stir frequently during orzo cooking to ensure even texture and prevent sticking to pot bottom.
- Allow dish to rest covered after adding parmesan and spinach, enabling creamy thickening and ingredient melding.
- Use medium-high heat initially, then reduce to medium or medium-low for controlled cooking process.
- Fresh grated parmesan and wilted spinach elevate the final dish’s taste and nutritional profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 120mg