Italian Sausage Orzo

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

16 ounces Italian sausage (see note)

1/2 medium onion (chopped)

3-4 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, or more to taste)

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy/whipping cream

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach

Salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions

Add the sausage meat to a soup pot/Dutch oven. Over medium-high heat, cook it for 5 minutes.

Stir in the onions and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so, until the sausage is nicely browned and the onions have softened.

Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and orzo, and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir in the chicken broth and cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often (or else the orzo may stick to the bottom of the pot). You will likely need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should gently bubble vs. boil (you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked).

Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately. See more troubleshooting tips in the notes below.

Nutrition

• Calories: 535 kcal
• Total Fat: 41 g
• Saturated Fat: 19 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
• Cholesterol: 110 mg
• Sodium: 1000 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 23 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 19 g