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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!
Me and my hubby loved this recipe! We used sundried tomatoe and basil chicken sausage so it was spicy for my one year old and it was fantastic! How do you recommend reheating?
*so it was not spicy for my daughter
Hey Stacy,
Perfect!! I’m so glad you family enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it:) I would reheat on low on the stove top! xx
Not only was this so easy to make, this meal was absolutely delicious. Everything came together perfectly. Another recipe we’ll be adding more often to our meals at home.
Hi Tamara,
Amazing!! So glad to her that you enjoyed this dish, thanks so much for making it! xT
Made this last night and it was great! Not quite as flavorful as some of the other HBH orzo recipes I’ve tried, but still delicious and came together *SO* fast. This will definitely be in the recipe rotation for nights we want something comforting that is super quick to make.
Hi Ashley,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
Want to try this tomorrow night! How many cups of dry orzo is a lb exactly?
Hi Rebecca,
It should be about 2 cups of dried orzo. I hope you love this dish! xT
Another great one and perfect for fall. I added mushrooms and additional spinach. Couldn’t find spicy Italian chicken sausage, so used a spicy port sausage, which definitely gave it some kick. Thanks Tieghan.
Hi JoAnn,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing what worked well for you! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Absolutely delicious!! So many flavors that come together so well and easy to make on a weeknight. Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!
Hi Michaela,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Favorite recipe I’ve made so far! So many “hidden veggies” and my toddlers ate it up! Maximum comfort food.
Hey Kath,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review:) xT
Made this tonight! Super easy and delicious!!!
Hey Kathy,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for making it!
This was an outstanding recipe! Simple and delicious. As with all recipes that are one pot pasta dishes, additional broth as well as cooking time was required. Thanks for another great one!! Will certainly be adding it to the rotation.
Hi Erin,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xx
Excellent!!
Thanks so much Emily!!
This is soooo good. We are adding it to the fall/winter meal rotation. I doubled the garlic because I wanted to do so, but other than that followed the recipe exactly, and it is fantastic.
Hi Christine,
Happy Tuesday! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This was really good! Like some other reviews, I also added an additional cup of stock. We had one bowl right after it finished cooking but found that the consistency was much better after it cooled for 10-20 minutes. Next time will add more veggies and maybe some crumbled bacon or crispy prosciutto on top for a crunch 🙂
Hi Kristie,
Happy Monday!! I truly appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed! xx
Was very well received by the whole family. Zucchini was not even an obstacle as it was very well incorporated. Will double the sun dried tomatoes next time as well. I happened to need a fair bit more stock but an easy adjustment to make.
Hi Tara,
Amazing! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for sharing with your family! xx
If I don’t have orzo (both grocery stores were out) can I use ditalini pasta or Arborio Rice instead? Thanks!
My grocery store had orzo in the rice section for some reason
Sure, Arborio rice would be great to use!
Fantastic! My husband has absurdly high standards and hates zucchini yrt loved this dish. Thank you!
Hi Nicole,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it:)
This was absolutely delicious and was super easy to make. I added sauteed mushrooms and extra sundried tomatoes because we love both. I will definitely make this again.
Hi Mary,
Happy Sunday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it:)