Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 475kcal
Equipment
- large skillet
- spatula
- cutting board
- chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage cut into ½ inch coins
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2-3 tablespoon sun dried tomatoes minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2¼ cups chicken broth plus more if needed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- juice of ½ a lemon
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or braiser over medium heat.
- Add the cut Italian sausage and cook the coins until deeply golden on both sides and cooked through. Remove from the pan.
- Add the diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the dry orzo and stir well so it gets coated in all that flavor for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 8–10 minutes.
- If the orzo starts looking too thick before it finishes cooking, add a splash more broth as needed.
- Return the cooked sausage to the pan. Fold in the spinach, cooking until it wilts. Stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
- Remove from heat and stir in the juice of ½ lemon.
- Taste and adjust salt and black pepper as needed. Serve hot with extra parmesan, black pepper, and a little extra lemon or zest if you want it extra bright.
Notes
Keep a little extra broth nearby — orzo absorbs quickly, and a splash at the end keeps everything creamy instead of tight.
A Note About the Sausage: I use fully cooked Italian sausage links for this recipe. If using raw Italian sausage, cook it completely before proceeding with the recipe. You can remove the casings and crumble it as it cooks, or cook the links whole and slice them into coins afterward. Italian sausage should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1034mg | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1783IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 2mg
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