Pasta night just got so easy, it’s ridiculous. Everything in this recipe (and we really mean everything) comes together in a single pan. And since the orzo is cooked risotto-style, with the minimal amount of water it needs to get al dente, you don’t even have to drain it. The only thing that’s not minimal is the flavor: with chicken sausage, warmed tomatoes, and Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, taste-wise, it’s about as big and bold as you can get.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
2 clove
Garlic
5 ounce
Spinach
1 unit
Lemon
4 ounce
Grape Tomatoes
¼ ounce
Parsley
9 ounce
Italian Chicken Sausage
6 ounce
Orzo Pasta
(Contains Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains Milk)
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains Wheat)
¼ cup
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains Milk)
1 tablespoon
Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper
Preheat broiler to high or oven to 500 degrees. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Mince garlic. Finely chop spinach until you have 1 very packed cup (2 cups for 4 servings). (You may not use all the spinach.) Halve lemon; cut one half into wedges. Halve tomatoes. Pick parsley leaves from stems; discard stems and finely chop leaves.
Once water is boiling, add orzo to pot and cook until al dente, 7-9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain. Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large, high-sided pan (preferably ovenproof) over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until just browned, 3-4 minutes. (It’ll cook through in the next step.)
Add tomatoes and garlic to pan with sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and sausage is cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in half the Italian Seasoning (all the seasoning for 4 servings) and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes start to break down, 2-3 minutes more. Lower heat to medium.
Stir spinach, stock concentrate, ½ cup reserved pasta water (¾ cup for 4 servings), and cooked orzo into pan with sausage mixture. Cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted and mixture is creamy, 2-3 minutes. TIP: If mixture seems dry, stir in a splash of remaining reserved pasta water.
Stir mozzarella and a squeeze of lemon juice into pan with orzotto. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste. (TIP: If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer mixture to a baking dish at this point.) In a small bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper; sprinkle over pan or dish. Broil or bake until panko is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. TIP: Watch carefully for any burning.
Divide orzotto between plates. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.