One Pan Creamy Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo
Hearty and comforting, Creamy Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo quickly comes together in about 30 minutes – all in one pan! Perfectly spiced Italian sausage, with savory-sweet sun-dried tomatoes and tender spinach, combine in a lush and creamy sauce for an easy weeknight dinner.
This recipe is reminiscent of my Tuscan Chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in a delectable sauce. This version uses crumbled Italian sausage, but you could easily use sliced sausage instead, depending on your preference.
Let’s talk about the ingredients
Italian sausage – the star of this meal! I’ve used the bulk sausage version, but you could also use the version that comes in the casing; simply remove the casings before cooking. Or you could cook the sausage *in* the casing, removing from the pan to slice into rounds before continuing the rest of the recipe. For the sausage, I do prefer the hot version but your mileage may vary!
Orzo – Orzo is rice-shaped pasta, large enough to still have a substantial bite but blends easily with different kinds of ingredients. You can buy different flavours of orzo and in different colours; I have just used plain orzo. Avoid the orzo/rice blends as I haven’t tested this recipe with that kind.
Sun-dried tomatoes – Both sweet and savory, sun-dried tomatoes have intense flavour and impart a beautiful rosy colour to any dish. They come packed in oil, so drain off the oil before chopping. You can also purchase dried sun-dried tomatoes, which you have to rehydrate with hot water. You can absolutely use this kind for this orzo dish, just discard the soaking water.
Aromatics – Diced onion and garlic are the aromatics for this recipe.
Spices – I like to use Italian seasoning for this dish because it’s fast and convenient. I have a recipe to make your own Italian Seasoning. I also like to add a little more kick with some red pepper flakes. Don’t forget the salt & pepper!
White wine – I like to use white wine to deglaze the pan after cooking the sausage, onion, garlic, and spices.
Heavy cream – This is how you get it creamy!
Spinach – You know I can’t resist throwing in a handful of chopped baby spinach to amp up the nutrition! Add it at the end and it wilts nicely.
Cheese – Grated parmesan adds a nice thickness to the sauce, as well as adding that umami flavour. I like to take 5 minutes at the end of cooking and sprinkle the top of the orzo with some pre-shredded Italian blend cheese and toast it under the broiler for just a couple of minutes, to get the cheese bubbly and golden.
Suggested substitutions for One Pan Creamy Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo
Sausage – Try chicken sausage, ground turkey, or chicken breast cut into chunks.
Sun Dried Tomatoes – Try a can of diced tomatoes!
Orzo – Can’t find orzo? Any small, short pasta will do – just be mindful of cooking time as it might change according to the pasta you end up using.
Wine – Avoiding alcohol? No problem, you can deglaze the pan with some of your chicken stock.
Vegetables – Some ideas for different vegetables you could use are: red and/or green bell peppers, kale, broccoli, fennel, green beans, or asparagus.
Make it Vegan
Here’s how I would make this vegan:
- swap sausage for TVP crumbles
- use vegetable stock
- choose a vegan white wine
- swap cream for plant-based cream or coconut cream
- swap cheeses for vegan cheeses, or leave out and add a spoonful of nutritional yeast
Make it Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free
Here’s how I would make this gluten- and dairy-free:
- swap sausage for a gluten- and dairy-free sausage, or use ground turkey or ground chicken
- swap cream for plant-based cream or coconut cream
- swap cheeses for vegan cheeses, or leave out and add a spoonful of nutritional yeast
- swap orzo for a gluten-free orzo
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One Pan Creamy Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo
Equipment
- Large skillet with lid
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage removed from casings if necessary
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained of oil, roughly chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan grated
- Large handful baby spinach leaves chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 cup Italian cheese blend or mozzarella
Garnish
- Fresh herbs such as basil or parsley
- More parmesan if desired
Instructions
- In a large skillet with lid, over medium-high heat, add Italian sausage and cook, crumbling, until nicely browned, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion starts to soften, about 8 minutes.
- Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper; stir and cook for 5 minutes to allow spices to bloom in the oils.
- Add white wine and stir, scraping up the bottom of the pan to deglaze all the delicious flavours.
- Add orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, stock, and cream; stir until mixture comes to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring every 5 minutes, for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender.
- Turn off heat and add spinach and parmesan and stir in (spinach will wilt).
- Taste and add more salt & pepper if necessary. Sprinkle the top of the orzo with the Italian cheese blend and cover for an additional 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt. Alternatively, you could cook uncovered under the broiler for a few minutes until cheese melts and is bubbling and starting to brown gently.
- Serve with chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil, and additional grated parmesan cheese if desired.