Creamy Sausage Orzo (One Pot)
Got sausages in the fridge, peas in the freezer and orzo in the cupboard? This creamy sausage orzo is ideal when you can’t be bothered but still want something that tastes like you tried. One pot, thirty minutes, and the green stuff is entirely optional. My toddler doesn’t need to know about the spinach.
One pot orzo dishes like this have become one of my go-to dinners for busy weeknights. I love how I can just throw everything in one pan and let it come together. I also love not having a million dishes to wash up. As an absolute bonus this one pot sausage orzo makes excellent leftovers so I don’t even need to cook tomorrow.
| Keep reading for everything you need, plus a few swaps if you don’t have everything in or have fussy eaters at home. |
One Pot Creamy Sausage Orzo – Quick Recipe Summary
🩷 Why You’ll Love this Creamy Sausage Orzo
Ingredients
Full ingredients list with quantities is included in the recipe card below. These are some helpful notes about the main ingredients including some swaps and substitutes where applicable.
- Sausages – I love these Italian Style sausages and actually first created this dish to use them specifically. However any pork sausage works well here, or you can try chicken or turkey sausages. Bear in mind any seasoning in the sausages will add to the dish.
- Orzo – this one pot method is designed for orzo pasta specifically, but a small pastina shape like stelline or diatlini could work.
- Lemon juice and crème fraîche – I prefer this combo over cream as the acidity helps cut through the richness of the sausage and stops it feeling too heavy or claggy. You can use double/heavy or single cream if you prefer, or a cream cheese.
- Spinach or Kale – optional but a great way to get some greens in as they soften and cook down into the sauce. You could try a grated courgette instead, especially if you’re dealing with super fussy eaters.
- Peas – If you are a regular reader here you will know I love throwing frozen peas into a pasta dish! They are just so quick and easy and a great way to add an extra vegetable (I love to get at least 2 portions of veggies per meal).
Swaps and Subs
Like all of my recipes, this one pot orzo is easy to adapt to what you have to hand. I’ve included a few ideas below but feel free to make it your own, and leave a comment if you tried something different.
- Swap pork sausages for chicken or turkey. Even lamb or beef sausage can work.
- Want a meat-free option? Swap the sausages for a tin of butter beans tossed in smoked paprika with a dash of fennel seeds. Fry them off the same way and they’ll soak up the sauce just as well.
- Switch up the veggies – frozen corn, green beans or small broccoli florets work well in place of peas. Add some grated courgette or carrot if your family hates the idea of spinach or kale. Thinly sliced bell pepper or mushrooms would work well too.
- crème fraîche can be switched out for double or heavy cream or soft cheese (like Philadelphia, mascarpone or ricotta). If you want ideas on using up extra crème fraîche then try this Gnocchi bake, or use it as a substitute for double cream or cream cheese in almost any recipe)
- For a Dairy free option – use a non-dairy crème fraîche and skip the cheese.
How to Make Sausage Orzo
- Brown the sausage meat in a large pot or Dutch oven, then add the onions and cook till soft.
- Add the garlic, herbs and dried orzo and stir well.
- Pour in the stock then bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the orzo is al dente.
- Stir in the peas and spinach or kale (if using) and give then 1-2 minutes to cook and wilt into the pasta.
- Stir in the lemon juice, crème fraîche, parmesan and parsley then season to taste and serve.
Carrie’s Note
Creamy pasta is always a winner at my house, especially combined with sausage. We’ve had so many variations of this orzo with different vegetables – I like to switch it up depending on what my toddler’s current favourite green thing is!
Everything We Ate
If you want to see some realistic dinner inspiration then I share a full recap of our family meals (what worked, what didn’t, and how I stretched the leftovers) every week for free over on Substack.
Tips for Success
- Stir Regularly – Orzo likes to stick to the bottom of the pan so make sure to give it a good stir every so often.
- Have extra water/stock ready – sometimes you may need to add a little extra so check regularly to see if it’s getting a little dry or the orzo is taking a long time to cook.
Serving Suggestions
Sausage orzo works well on its own or you could add a green salad on the side. You can also serve with some garlic bread or ciabatta.
Leftovers
| Fridge: | Up to 3 days in an airtight container. |
| Freezer: | Up to 3 months. Best freshly cooked but still perfectly tasty reheated from frozen. Defrost fully before reheating. |
| Reheat: | Microwave or warm on the hob with a splash of water. |
| Leftovers tip: | Add a little extra water or stock when reheating, then add some fresh herbs and an extra splash of lemon juice to wake it back up. |
FAQs
Yes – almost any pork sausage works well, or you can use chicken or turkey sausage.
Yes but the orzo will soak up a lot of liquid so you will need a splash more water or stock when reheating.
Double cream, cream cheese, or even a dollop of soft cheese.
You can, but freezing does affect the quality a little and can make the orzo mushy. Reheat with a splash of water and add some fresh herbs and lemon juice to serve.
More One-Pot Orzo Dinners:
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The Recipe
Creamy Sausage Orzo (One Pot)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 400 grams (14.11 oz) good quality pork sausages Italian style if available to you
- 2 banana shallots diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Italian herbs or oregano
- 250 grams (1 ⅓ cups) orzo
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 2 handfuls spinach or kale optional
- 1 cup peas
- small bunch fresh parsley chopped
- 30 grams (3 tbsp) grated parmesan
- salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp crème fraiche
- 1/2 a lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven, then add the sausage meat and cook until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks.1 tbsp olive oil, 400 grams good quality pork sausages
- Add the shallot and cook till just softening, then add the garlic, herbs and dried orzo and stir well.2 banana shallots, 3 cloves Garlic, 1 tsp Italian herbs , 250 grams orzo
- Pour in the stock then bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the orzo is al dente.500 ml chicken stock
- Stir in the peas and spinach or kale (if using) and give then 1-2 minutes to cook and wilt into the pasta.2 handfuls spinach or kale, 1 cup peas
- Stir in the lemon juice, crème fraîche, parmesan and parsley then season to taste and serve.small bunch fresh parsley, 30 grams grated parmesan, salt and pepper, 3 tbsp crème fraiche, 1/2 a lemon, juiced
Notes
- Swap pork sausages for chicken or turkey. Even lamb or beef sausage can work.
- Want a meat-free option? Swap the sausages for a tin of butter beans tossed in smoked paprika with a dash of fennel seeds. Fry them off the same way and they’ll soak up the sauce just as well.
- Switch up the veggies – frozen corn, green beans or small broccoli florets work well in place of peas. Add some grated courgette or carrot if your family hates the idea of spinach or kale. Thinly sliced bell pepper or mushrooms would work well too.
- crème fraîche can be switched out for double or heavy cream or soft cheese (like Philadelphia, mascarpone or ricotta). If you want ideas on using up extra crème fraîche then try this Gnocchi bake, or use it as a substitute for double cream or cream cheese in almost any recipe)
- For a Dairy free option – use a non-dairy crème fraîche and skip the cheese.
