Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sausage Orzo
Italian sausage, orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and a cream parmesan sauce — everything cooked in one skillet in 30 minutes. The orzo absorbs the sausage fat and creamy broth as it cooks, turning into something closer to a risotto than a pasta dish. In a good way.
Ingredients
Meat & Protein
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage casings removed
Produce
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups baby spinach packed
- 3 tbsp fresh basil roughly chopped, for garnish
Dairy
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for serving
Pantry & Canned Goods
- 1.5 cups orzo pasta dry — not pre-cooked
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes oil-packed, drained and roughly chopped — reserve 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2.5 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Seasonings & Spices
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional — omit for mild
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, for 5 to 6 minutes until well browned. Do not drain — the sausage fat stays in the pan and flavors the orzo.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking for 1 minute until it darkens slightly.
- Add the dry orzo to the pan and stir to coat it in the sausage fat and tomato paste — toast it for 1 minute. This adds a subtle nuttiness and helps the orzo hold its texture as it absorbs liquid. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid and is just tender. If the liquid absorbs before the orzo is fully cooked, add ¼ cup of broth or water and continue.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan until smooth and combined. Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted — about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt.
- Serve immediately topped with fresh basil and extra parmesan. The orzo will continue to absorb liquid as it sits — add a splash of broth to loosen if needed.
Notes
Don't drain the sausage fat. This is the flavor base for the entire dish — the orzo toasts in it, the onion softens in it, and it seasons everything without any additional effort. If using sweet Italian sausage instead of hot, the dish will be milder and you may want to increase the red pepper flakes.
Toasting the dry orzo for 1 minute before adding liquid is the step most recipes skip and the one that makes the most difference. It adds a subtle nuttiness and keeps the orzo from turning mushy as it absorbs the broth.
Cream and parmesan go in off the heat only. Adding them while the pan is still on a high flame can cause the cream to break and the parmesan to clump. Remove from heat, then stir them in.
Sweet Italian sausage is a direct swap for hot — the flavor profile shifts slightly milder. Chicken sausage works but add 1 tbsp of olive oil since it has less fat than pork.
Leftovers keep for 3 days. The orzo absorbs more liquid as it sits — add a splash of broth and stir over low heat to bring it back. Reheats well.
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