Creamy Italian Sausage and Spinach Orzo
This is a simple, comforting recipe for a weeknight orzo and sausage meal with a creamy sauce and fresh spinach.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 35 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain off excess grease.
- Add the olive oil, chopped onion, and minced garlic to the skillet with the sausage. Cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the orzo pasta and toast for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Add the fresh spinach and cook until it wilts, about 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve this easy sausage orzo recipe immediately.
Notes
- For a tomato based sausage orzo flavor, add 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes with the chicken broth.
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken sausage for Italian sausage.
- If you prefer a lemon sausage orzo recipe, stir in the zest and juice of half a lemon at the end.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 45
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Unsaturated Fat: 27
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 110