One-Pan Pesto Orzo with Sausage and Tomatoes at home
- Yield 6
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 25 minutes
- Total 35 minutes
One-Pan Pesto Orzo with Sausage and Tomatoes at home is a chicken recipe on Avoteb. The yield on the card is 6. Plan on 35 minutes from start to plate. The amounts and the method are both on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 6 servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces fully cooked Italian chicken sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 2 cups roughly chopped baby spinach
- ½ cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- optional toppings: fresh basil, grated Parmesan, torn burrata
Method
Brown the sausage. Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large sauté pan or deep skillet over medium-a hot burner. Tip in the chicken sausage and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Move the sausage to a clean plate and keep nearby.
Blister the tomatoes. Tip in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Tip in the tomatoes and cook over medium-a hot burner for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring only once or twice, until their skins are blistered and a few tomatoes are just beginning to split. Salt with the black pepper, then move the tomatoes to the plate with the sausage.
Toast the orzo. Lower the heat to medium. Tip in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Tip in the orzo and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Leave the orzo. Tip in the chicken broth and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Raise to a let it bubble gently, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Leave uncovered for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring frequently, until the orzo is al dente. Tip in an extra splash of broth as needed if the mixture becomes too dry before the orzo is finished cooking.
Finish the orzo. Lift the pan from the heat. Stir in the browned chicken sausage, spinach, pesto and lemon juice until evenly combined and the spinach is wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Gently fold in the blistered tomatoes. Tip in another splash of broth if needed to loosen the sauce.
Plate Taste and season with additional black pepper as needed. Plate warm with your desired toppings.
