Simple Sausage Orzo {One Pot} (2024)

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We LOVE orzo recipes for an easy dinner, and this Sausage Orzo pasta is totally delicious. The recipe is all made in one pot and ready in about 30 minutes.

You’ve all loved my original Sausage Pasta recipe, so I knew we NEEDED an orzo version. Just as delicious, maybe even easier?

For this Sausage Orzo one pot we’re making quick mini meatballs out of the sausages, then cooking everything in the same pan for a silky, rich sauce that just needs a stir now and then.

I hope you’ll love it!

Why you’ll love this recipe

⭐️ Dinner in about 30 minutes, all made in one pan

⭐️ Delicious and inexpensive

⭐️ Crowd pleaser and super easy to make

How we came up with this recipe

Orzo pasta is such a simple and easy way to make a one pan meal, pair that with family favourite sausages and OH HELLO!

I’ve included peppers, onions and tomatoes for vegetables so it’s a complete meal.

We tested this plenty of times and found that the combination of creaminess and tomato sauce worked perfectly with a simple, herby flavours.

Sausage Orzo Ingredients Notes

• Olive oil – Regular type, not extra virgin!
• Sausages – Try to use a good quality, high meat content sausages
• Garlic – If you want a shortcut, frozen, pre prepared is perfect (it’s what I use mostly as one of my favourite shortcuts). Fresh is fine too
• Veggies – We’re using red onion and red peppers (or bell peppers/capsicum if you’re outside the UK) in this for a little sweetness
• Tinned chopped tomatoes / tomato puree – Any type will work for this. I do find that better quality brands are noticeable if you can
• Herbs – Dried oregano, fresh basil and a pinch of chilli flakes
• Vegetable stock – Any good quality, fairly low salt, vegetable stock is fine. I think Marigold brand is the best around. Made from a cube is fine
• Orzo – The dried kind you find in packets
• Cream cheese – Any brand is fine, low fat or regular
• Parmesan – Grana Padano is a good, slightly cheaper alternative to Parmesan if you prefer

How to make Sausage Orzo Pasta

1. Remove the sausages from their skins (see tips below) and put into a heated pan with oil in small chunks over a high heat (as per the full recipe below).

2. Add the garlic, onion and peppers and cook as per the recipe below.

3. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, chilli flakes, stock and orzo, put the lid on and cook until the orzo is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

4. Before serving, stir in the cream cheese, sprinkle over the parmesan and shredded basil.

Hint: If the mixture becomes too dry before the orzo is cooked, add a splash of water (a little at a time).

Substitutions

• Veggie sausages – You can try this as a vegetarian alternative dish by using chunks of veggie sausages instead. It will work really well
• Vegetables – Feel free to mix up the kind of veggies you add in here, according to your tastes or what you have in and needs using up

Top tipS

Peeling sausages and making the ‘meatballs’

Sausage ‘skin’ pieces can be a bit yucky, so I just take each sausage and cut along the length and remove the sausage meat from the skin. Break it into large (or small) chunks as you pop into the pan.

I like to squish some of the sausage chunks with the spoon as they cook so they go nice and crispy.

Optional: Fennel seeds

This might be a little bit of a controversial ingredient but they honestly work so well in my Sausage Pasta. I do not like aniseed flavour AT ALL, but in that dish they do somehow just elevate it to something special.

I haven’t tried or added them to this recipe, but do feel free to give it a whirl (about 1 tsp) if you’d like to give it a whirl.

FAQs