Chicken Sausage Orzo – The Almond Eater

Creamy Chicken Sausage Orzo is made in one pan and is a flavor-forward dinner recipe. Featuring chicken sausage, orzo, veggies, and pesto, it’ll quickly become a staple in your dinner rotation!

We love chicken sausage in our household, so it was really no surprise that this chicken sausage orzo was a hit!

 

Typically, we eat chicken sausage with breakfast alongside eggs and sometimes breakfast potatoes too, but we also love it in my chicken sausage pasta for dinner. 

I’d describe this orzo as one word: creamy. The sauce is made with chicken broth, pesto and heavy cream, so you know it’s good. The dish itself features chicken sausage (of course) and vegetables like zucchini and tomatoes, though you can really use what you have on hand.

All and all, I know this recipe is going to be on rotation in our house, and I hope it is for you too!

Recipe features

• Made in one pan, so the clean up is minimal.
• Incredibly flavorful thanks to the chicken sausage, pesto, parmesan, and lemon juice.
• It features pasta, protein and veggies, so you don’t have to worry about cooking a side dish. 

Ingredients

Chicken sausage – Pre-cooked chicken sausage that you can slice, not the kind from the meat counter. I usually opt for spicy Italian chicken sausage, but mild works too! 

Onion & garlic – Necessary for flavor, and make sure to use fresh garlic cloves, not garlic powder.

Zucchini & tomatoes – Fresh garden vegetables help make this dish taste like summer. 

Italian seasoning – Gives flavor to the vegetables. 

Orzo – Dried orzo pasta, regular or gluten free. 

Chicken broth – Since this features chicken sausage, chicken broth makes the most sense, but vegetable broth works in a pinch.

Heavy cream – Helps to make the final result creamy! Half and half or whole milk are good alternatives, though the final result won’t be quite as delicious (just saying!).

Pesto – Store-bought or homemade pesto. 

Grated parmesan cheese – Preferably freshly grated from a block of parmesan, but is pre-grated in a container ok too. 

Lemon juice – Add it in the end to add more depth to this dish. Taste test and add more lemon juice as needed! 

Instructions

Step 1: Cook chicken sausage. Start by heating olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium heat, then add the chicken sausage and cook until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Step 2: Sauté the vegetables. To that same pan, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, then add the garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened but not mushy. 

Step 3: Cook the orzo. Add the chicken sausage back in, along with the orzo, pesto, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Stir everything together, then bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and simmer until orzo is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes

Step 4: Finish the dish. Remove the lid, then sprinkle parmesan and lemon juice over top. Remove from the heat and allow the dish to sit for 5 minutes or so, which allows the mixture to thicken to its final consistency. Sprinkle with fresh basil (optional) and enjoy! 

Tips & variations 

• Other veggies you could use instead of zucchini and tomatoes include: mushrooms, spinach, kale, chopped asparagus
• Want to make this spicy? Use spicy chicken sausage and add red pepper flakes in with the Italian seasoning
• Feel free to add even more pesto if you’d like! Though ⅓ cup sounds like a lot, the pesto flavor is fairly mild, so if you want it to be more prominent, use ½ cup instead. 

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this dish because of how creamy it is. Simply put, the consistency won’t be the same. 

More one pan recipes

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!