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This simple One Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo is about to be a new weeknight staple. Quick, easy, and so delicious! Pan-seared Italian chicken sausage, cooked with herbs, flavorful sun-dried tomatoes, fresh zucchini, spinach, plus orzo pasta. It’s a fast dinner made in one pot with incredible flavor! The family will all enjoy this fresh take on a creamy pasta dish.
It’s a fun time of year for cooking. I see September as a transitional month into fall. The weather is still warm (it’s been 80 here in New York), but the days are shortening and there is a crispness in the air. The humidity that most of you get starts to dissipate, and everyone begins to get ready to embrace fall.
Or at least this is how I feel, tell me if I’m wrong though!
It’s also a fun time for cooking because we still have all the produce of summer, in fact so much of it is in peak season! I’m having fun creating warmer, cozy recipes, but using lots of produce. And of course, all the fresh basil that we’ve been growing.
I’ve strolled the markets here in New York and it’s apparent that there is a lot of zucchini happening. I also love seeing all the fresh florals. There are so many autumn colors throughout the city right now.
I love it.
Here are the details
As you might guess, this recipe is pretty straightforward and simple.
Start with a nice big high-sided skillet and add in spicy Italian sausage. I always prefer to use chicken sausage, which I buy from the Whole Foods meat counter. They’ll make it fresh for you. If chicken sausage is not available for you, you can easily make your own. Simply add 2-3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning to ground chicken.
Or just use pork sausage, it’s just as yummy, only a little greasier.
Add all the usuals – shallots, garlic, some oregano, and thyme. For the herbs, I used fresh herbs. But I also gave measurements for dry herbs since I know many of you appreciate that.
Pour some broth into the skillet, then dijon, the orzo, and shredded zucchini. I like to use zucchini for added vegetables and creaminess. It melts down into the sauce wonderfully. It’s my secret to creamy pasta!
Finish with milk, I use goat milk, but canned coconut milk is really nice and creamy.
Then add Parmesan and fresh basil to really make this dish delish.
Super simple yet so much flavor.
This will be great for serving to family on busy nights. I love how easily it comes together. Oh, and the leftovers reheat well and are delicious the following day for lunch or dinner.
I haven’t had a chance to serve this to Creighton just yet, but I know he’ll love it. Anything with some spicy Italian sausage makes his day!
Looks like I’ll be making this yet again!
Looking for other simple dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
One Pan Corn and Zucchini Pesto Orzo Casserole
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 630 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 2 small zucchini, shredded
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk or heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- fresh basil
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet set over medium heat, brown the chicken sausage over medium heat, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, oregano, and thyme, and cook until fragrant, 3 minutes. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes. 2. Pour in the broth. Add the dijon, then bring to a boil. Add the orzo and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 6 minutes. Mix in the spinach, pour in the milk, and sprinkle over the parmesan. 3. Stir until creamy, then remove from the heat. Serve topped with fresh basil. Enjoy!
My husband and I made this tonight and loved it! This is a season where we are learning to cook for the first time and we found this totally easy to follow! Although, we did have to look what al dente meant! Lol
Can’t wait to try and other recipes from my half baked harvest cook books he got me for christmas!
Aww, thanks so much Katie! I’m so glad you both enjoyed this dish and appreciate you making it. What a great way to spend some time together! xT
Such a great dish, and easy! Plus, the leftovers keep well for lunches, etc.
Thanks so much Samantha!! Love to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Perfect recipe! Everybody loved it!
Hey Julie,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and your feedback! Love to hear it turned out well! xT
I’ve made this 3 times in the past month, it’s so good! I swap the chicken sausage for regular.
Thank you soooo much Haley! xT
This recipe was fantastic! I had a couple rogue mini bell peppers in my fridge to use up and tossed those in and they were a yummy addition. It was the perfect warm and quick comfort meal at the end of a long week. Kid approved, too! The zucchini really does just melt into it! Looking forward to making it again and again! Thank you!
Hey Heather! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Hope you’re having an awesome weekend! 🙂 xT
This looks amazing! Is there is substitute for the zucchini? It’s not in season right now so I’d love to try another veggie if you think it would work?
Maybe some kale would be yummy! xT
Made it and my family said, verbatim ‘ this is the best meal you have ever made’. The orzo is so cheesy and sausage brings out the perfect flavor to the entire dish! Love that there is an extra amount of vegetables you can’t even taste! My one year old loved it! Will be making this again!
Awe love to hear this Yalena!! Thanks a bunch for making this dish and your feedback! So glad it was a hit! xT
I knew I would love this recipe based on the ingredients – but bonus points for being so quick and easy to make! It’s the perfect comfort dinner packed with veggies.
Thanks so much Natalie!! Love to hear that this dish was enjoyed and I appreciate you making it:) xT
Do you have a recipe for using ground meat to DIY ground sausage? What spices would you recomend?
Hey Ashley,
I sure do! Here you go:
Ground Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage: I buy ground chicken sausage at Whole Foods. If you can’t find it, you can make your own by adding the following spice mix to 1 pound ground chicken:
1 tablespoon each of fennel seed, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper; 2 teaspoons each of cayenne (or less, if you don’t want it too spicy), paprika, and garlic powder; and 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
One of my absolute FAVORITE recipes! Hearty, delicious, healthy, easy to put together – what more could you ask for?! I crave this on a pretty regular basis. My family LOVES this dish, too! 12 out of 10. 😉
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! Have a great Halloween 🙂 xT
Hi! We are vegetarians who don’t use imitation meat substitutes. Would this work without the sausage? Would you add any specific seasonings to make up for it?
Hi there! Yes, this should be fine without the sausage! Maybe throw in some extra seasonings if you feel that the flavor is lacking!
This was really tasty! Good, fast dinner that was easy to modify with ingredients we had on had.
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Really good Tieghan! I diced up some chicken breasts and seasoned as I didn’t have chicken sausage and did everything else according to recipe. Only did half the recipe and it still made a lot.
Nice balance and love the one pan meals!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a great day 🙂 xT
Excellent and easy dinner! I used hot italian sausage and it gave the meal a nice little kick. Also substituted half and half for the heavy cream. Definitely will repeat this one! It even tasted great reheated for lunch the next day! Your recipes are my favorite Tieghan!
Hey Becki! Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xT
This recipe is OUT OF THIS WORLD – Don’t skimp on the directions, and try to doctor it up, it’s already perfection. Thank you again Tieghan!
Hi David,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx