Print

Sausage and Veggie Orzo

One large white bowl of sausage and veggie orzo with a fork in the bowl on a wooden table with a white and blue striped dish towel to the left of the photo.
Print Recipe

Spicy sausage, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and orzo make this quick and easy Sausage and Orzo Pasta dish!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup Orzo Pasta (uncooked)
  • ¼ cup Reserved Pasta Water (plus an extra cup- just in case)
  • 1 pound Spicy Sausage (casings removed)
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion (diced)
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper (diced)
  • 2 cloves Garlic (microplaned)
  • 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 pint Grape Tomatoes (halved)

Instructions

  1. Cook 1 cup orzo pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1 ¼ cup pasta water from the pot before draining the pasta.
  2. Meanwhile, remove the casings from the sausage and cook in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown and crumble the sausage while it cooks.
  3. While the pasta and sausage are cooking dice the onion and bell pepper. Set aside. Microplane 2 pods of garlic and cut 1 pint of grape tomatoes in half.
  4. Once the sausage is fully cooked, remove from pan but reserve some of the grease in the pan. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, the onion, and the green bell pepper to the pan. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
  5. Next add 2 garlic pods and stir for 30 seconds. Add 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon oregano, and 1 pint grape tomatoes. Stir and give about 5 minutes to cook and let the juices flow from the grape tomatoes.
  6. Next return the sausage to the pan, add the cooled orzo, and ¼ c reserved pasta water. Carefully stir to coat all of the pasta. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and add additional pasta water if it gets too dry. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

When you reheat the leftovers, add a splash of reserved pasta water to break it up and keep it from drying out. 

Find it online: https://mylifeafterdairy.com/sausage-and-veggie-orzo/