Description
Spicy Italian Sausage Orzo is a creamy one-pot pasta dish ready in 30 minutes. Hot Italian sausage, tender orzo, and tomato cream sauce make this the ultimate comfort food dinner!
Ingredients
For the Main Dish:
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage (casings removed if needed)
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 1 can (14 ounces) tomato sauce
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, chopped or torn (for garnish)
Instructions
Heat your large skillet, pot, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage (removing casings if they’re links) and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with your spoon as it cooks.
Toss in the finely chopped onion right into the pan with that beautiful browned sausage. Cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and turns lightly golden. It’ll soak up all those sausage drippings and become so sweet and delicious!
Stir in your minced garlic and dried oregano. Let it cook for just about 1 minute. Don’t let the garlic burn or it’ll turn bitter, so keep stirring!
Now for the fun part! Add the uncooked orzo pasta directly to the pan. Give it a good stir and let it toast for about 30 seconds. This step builds so much depth of flavor – the orzo gets slightly nutty and toasty, and it helps the pasta absorb the sauce better later.
Pour in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Stir everything together really well, making sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (that’s liquid gold!). Bring the whole mixture to a gentle simmer – you should see little bubbles around the edges.
Reduce your heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently – and I mean frequently! Every minute or two, give it a good stir to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in that gorgeous grated Parmesan cheese and most of your fresh basil (save some for garnish). Cover the pan with a lid and let it sit for 3–5 minutes. This resting time is crucial – it lets the sauce thicken up perfectly and all the flavors meld together.
Give it a taste and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed. Remember, the sausage and Parmesan are already salty, so taste first! Serve warm in bowls with extra Parmesan sprinkled on top and those reserved fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- The biggest mistake I see? Not adding enough liquid when the pasta looks dry. Orzo absorbs a LOT as it cooks. If things look dry before the pasta is tender, add broth or cream in ¼-cup increments. Better to add liquid than serve crunchy pasta!
- For less spice: Use mild Italian sausage and add a pinch of red pepper flakes at the end so you can control the heat level. You can also stir in a couple extra tablespoons of cream to mellow things out.
- Smart shortcut: Use pre-minced garlic from a jar (1 clove = ½ teaspoon) and pre-diced onion from the produce section. I won’t tell anyone!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American