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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.
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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
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I have made at least 30 different HBH recipes for my husband and I from the cookbooks and website. I’ve basically quit cooking from other cookbooks and almost solely use HBH recipes now because everything is so good. I made this last night and my husband said this was his favorite HBH recipe I’ve ever made. It was really delicious. On a side note, I think my favorite HBH recipe is the Gingered Thai Steak Salad from your second cookbook. 🙂 Thank you so much for putting out so many wonderful recipes for us to try.
Hey Amy,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for making so many recipes and your kind message? Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Fabulous and tons of it! This is a great recipe and will be added to my favorites. Quick, easy and delicious. Thanks!
Hey Colleen,
Awesome! I am so glad this dish was a winner, thanks for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Sooooo delicious and definitely bursting with flavor if you make it according to the recipe with sausage! Loved it and will be making it again. Thank you for another awesome one pot pasta dinner. So good but also simple for a week night! 😀
Hey Nikki,
Thanks so much!! I am so glad you enjoyed this dish! Happy Friday! xT
This was delicious! Super easy and a great way to sneak in veggies for those picky eaters. I will definitely make this again!
Hi there,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a ton for making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a winner:)
It was very yummy but more like 3 servings. Fed my father in law, husband and myself. I ended up adding a little more broth because it seemed like the broth cooked out but the orzo didn’t fully cook through. Took 35 min!
Hi Ulyana,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a ton for making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a winner:)
Made this with ground turkey and fresh tomatoes, because those are what I had on hand. It was so delicious, the entire family had seconds and my little kids asked to have leftovers in their thermos for lunch!
Hi Alex,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xT
This dish is AMAZING! I made it last night and it was a hit with my husband and my *mostly* vegan daughter! Easy, beautiful, and tasty – it doesn’t get much better than that!
Hi Kathy,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xT
Can’t wait to try this tonight. Instead of chicken sausage I’m going to use shrimp.
I hope you love the recipe, Chris! Let me know how it turns out:) xx
Made this tonight for our 26th anniversary at home dinner! It was delicious! Full disclosure I like dijon, so I added extra of it, but other than the following substitution followed the recipe. I didn’t have spinach on hand, but had some arugula that needed using up. It served as a good substitute. The best recipes are ones that allow for flexibility, and this one definitely does. I look forward to making it again!
Hey Shelly,
Happy Anniversary!! Thanks so much for making this dish, I am so glad it was enjoyed:) xTieghan
I enjoyed this one! It was easy, but I should’ve had everything prepared before I started. Also, I left out the meat and decided not to sub with a plant based alternative. I imagine the depth of flavor would be better with the sausage, but it’s still really good without it.
Hi Betsy,
Perfect!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Can’t wait to make this tonight! Can I use ground pork instead of chicken?
Hey Nikki,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xx
The concept was great but didn’t have your usual burst of great flavors. I’ll definitely make this again but will add the spices to ground chicken you share in your Baked Cheesy Chicken Meatballs to make spicy Italian chicken sausage. That’s flavor!
Hey Margaret,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xT
So just made this tonight and it was pretty simple to make, I forgot the zucchini ??♀️, so I had some cooked squash, and used coconut milk instead of creme. It was flavorful and now I have leftovers for tomorrow…this is a keeper
Hey Marcy,
Perfect!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
SO delicious, SO easy, and basically fool proof! My kids don’t normally like fresh basil but I chopped it up and mixed it in before serving, they ate everything right up! I didn’t have ground chicken so I used shredded chicken that I already had on hand.
Hey Betty,
Fantastic!! I am so glad your family enjoyed this dish and appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
This was so simple and amazing. My kids loved it. I could definitely do this once a week as a staple.
Hi Laura,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy Wednesday:)
My kiddos can’t handle any spice ? do you think subbing with a mild Italian sausage would be ok or does this recipe really benefit from the spice?
It looks so good!!
Hey Lauren,
Totally, a mild sausage would be great to use! I hope your family loves this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
We tried it and was sooo good! My 4 yr old took one bite and said “oh mommy, this is so good!!” ❤️ I did two mild and one spicy sausage 🙂
Awesome, so glad to hear this!!