This quick one pot Sausage Orzotto is a great mid-week dinner. The flavours are comforting, using pantry ingredients that I'm sure you'll have in your kitchen! This orzo sausage dish comes together in less than 30 minutes, I hope you love it.
This sausage orzo recipe takes inspiration from the marry me chicken flavours. We've got sundried tomatoes, oregano, and paprika as our key flavouring agents and trust me when I say it is absolutely delicious.
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What is Orzotto and Why I Think You'll Love It
Orzotto, is essentially a take on the Italian dish 'risotto', using the pasta shape - orzo. And it's absolutely fantastic. We're basically cooking the orzo in with all of the ingredients and flavours, adding in stock bit by bit until the orzo is al dente and the sauce is smooth and silky. It's probably my favourite way to cook orzo because I also my love asparagus orzotto and my tomato orzotto recipes, so I hope you enjoy this method too!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Sausages: we're using regular sausages with standard spices - Cumberland are great, or chipolatas too. You could alternatively use chorizo for extra flavour!
Onion: white onion or shallots are great.
Garlic: fresh garlic cloves are perfect. I've used 3 cloves in this recipe, but feel free to use more if you're a garlic fan.
Sundried tomatoes: I love the sundried tomatoes that are stored in oil, so they don't go dry. You could alternatively use jarred artichokes, red bell peppers, or olives for a different flavour.
Oregano: dried oregano is great. Otherwise, you could use dried sage.
Paprika: this adds a lovely flavour and heat. Alternatively, you could use a touch of cayenne or mild chili powder.
Orzo: many people think orzo is a type of rice. It's not!! It's a type of paste that happens to look like rice. So fun. If you don't have orzo, feel free to use a different very small pasta shape.
Chicken stock: store-bought chicken stock is fine!! Or you can use vegetable stock but I personally prefer chicken.
Single cream: or light cream. I rarely use double cream, I feel like it is unnecessary for the flavour. But you do you!
Parmesan: this adds a lovely cheesy tang. You could use pecorino if you'd like.
Balsamic vinegar: pasta recipes oftentimes need balancing out and I find that balsamic vinegar adds the perfect acidity the dish needs! Alternatively, you could add in a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar.
Basil: for freshness, basil is a winner! You could add parsley to this orzo sausage dish if you're not a fan of basil.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Place a frying pan or skillet on medium heat and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Once hot, tear up the sausages into bitesized pieces and add them to the pan. Fry for a few minutes until slightly golden and seared.
Step 2: Add the chopped onions and garlic into the pan and fry for a few minutes until softened and aromatic.
Step 3: Add in the sundried tomatoes, oregano, paprika, and orzo. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously, then add in the chicken stock and cream. Season with flaky salt and ground black pepper. Leave to simmer (stir occasionally so the orzo doesn't stick to the base of the pan), for around 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente.
Step 4: Once the orzo is ready and the sauce has thickened, add in the grated parmesan and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine, then taste and season accordingly with more salt, pepper, parmesan, or balsamic vinegar.
Step 5: Once the sausage orzo is ready, divide between 4 bowls and garnish with finely chopped fresh basil and more grated parmesan. Enjoy, my friend!!!
What To do with Leftovers
Storage: leave the sausage orzotto to cool, then place in tupperware and into the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: leave the sausage orzotto to cool, then place in tupperware and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw/defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: add a splash of milk or water into the tupperware, then leave the lid ajar and heat in the microwave for a few minutes until piping hot.
FAQs
It's a little rice-shaped pasta from Italy.
Make sure to stir the sausage orzo occasionally to ensure the orzo isn't sticking to the base of the pan. If it is and the liquid is reducing, feel free to add in some water (200ml or so) and give everything a good mix.
For sure, I'd recommend using any small pasta shape like macaroni.
If you tried this Quick Sausage Orzotto Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Quick Sausage Orzotto (One Pot)
Ingredients
- 400 g sausages
- 1 white onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 100 g sundried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika sweet paprika is best but if you've got hot paprika and you love it, go for that!
- 200 g orzo
- 600 ml chicken stock
- 200 ml single cream or light cream
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 15 g parmesan cheese grated plus more for garnish
- 15 g basil finely sliced
Instructions
- Place a frying pan or skillet on medium heat and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Once hot, tear up the sausages into bitesized pieces and add them to the pan. Fry for a few minutes until slightly golden and seared.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic into the pan and fry for a few minutes until softened and aromatic.
- Add in the sundried tomatoes, oregano, paprika, and orzo. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously, then add in the chicken stock and cream. Season with flaky salt and ground black pepper. Leave to simmer (stir occasionally so the orzo doesn't stick to the base of the pan), for around 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente. TIP: if the orzo is sticking to the base of the pan because the liquid has reduced, add 100ml-200ml more water and stir to combine.
- Once the orzo is ready and the sauce has thickened, add in the grated parmesan and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine, then taste and season accordingly with more salt, pepper, parmesan, or balsamic vinegar.
- Once the sausage orzo is ready, divide between 4 bowls and garnish with finely chopped fresh basil and more grated parmesan. Enjoy, my friend!!!
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