I Make This One-Pot Dinner Every Single Week (It’s Ready in Under 30 Minutes)

Do you have a dish or two that you make almost every week? For me, it’s always been tacos and pizza, but I’ve recently added orzo into the mix. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to appreciate this little rice-shaped pasta, but now that the love is there, I’m not turning back.

Each week I’ve been finding a new way to cook up my favorite new pasta using my one-pot method that is truly “no-fail.” My latest creation is a one-pot sausage and orzo that’s so good everyone in my house calls it “restaurant-quality.”

If you’re not familiar with orzo, it’s a small, rice-shaped pasta that’s commonly used for pasta salads or soups. It falls in the category of pastina, or “little pasta,” and like other little pastas, it cooks quickly, making it handy for weeknight dinners. That quick cooking time also makes it perfect for one-pot meals, requiring only a marginal amount of liquid for cooking which keeps the other ingredients from ending up soft and mushy. I’ve found that the ideal ratio is one part orzo to two parts liquid, which you’ll see below.

As I’ve been tinkering with my newfound favorite ingredient, I’ve come up with a basic one-pot method for cooking the orzo with aromatics, broth, and a combination of proteins and vegetables. This one-pot sausage and orzo was a recent win, combining my family’s love of spicy heat and adoration for creamy sauces. It only takes half an hour to prepare and only requires one pot. Serve it with a big salad and some crusty bread and I promise, you’ll love orzo as much as I do!

Tips for Making My One-Pot Sausage and Orzo

• Go hot or sweet: My family loves spicy food, so I always make this with hot Italian sausage. If you prefer something with less heat, feel free to swap in sweet Italian sausage instead.
• Broth is best: I like to use chicken broth for this recipe, but vegetable broth is also a nice option. Both provide flavor that water just can’t. That being said, if you’re in a pinch, use water and consider adding a touch of onion powder, thyme, and oregano for a little more flavor.
• Crisp it up: Sometimes I like to go past the 5 to 6-minute cook time for the sausage to get it extra crispy. Cooking it longer also gives you more time to break it into tiny crumbles, which means big flavor in every bite.
• Don’t let it linger: Once the dish is done, take it off the heat and serve it right away. The longer it sits, the more liquid the pasta will absorb and your dish will go from creamy to dry.

Brown the sausage:

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break it into crumbles, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Toast the orzo:

Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes:

Stir in the chicken broth and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and evenly cooked, about 8 minutes.

Wilt the spinach:

Uncover the pan and stir in the spinach and cream. Cover and continue to cook until the spinach is just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste, adding salt if needed.

Serve:

Remove the pan from the heat and portion the pasta into bowls. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

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