Wait…what? An easy to make Risotto using pasta instead of rice? No standing at the stove forever stirring in chicken broth, ladle by ladle by ladle? You might be just like me and love a rich and creamy Risotto but hate how much hands on time it takes to make it. So you end up ordering it at restaurants instead of making it at home. Sometimes you get lucky and you’re served up a really delicious risotto but more often it’s a gloopy, thick, hot mess with a very bland flavor profile, nothing like what a truly good risotto should be; rich and creamy, with a smooth mouth feel and a fabulous well developed flavor.
If you’re not familiar with Orzo pasta it’s a small pasta that’s shaped like slightly larger kernels of rice. It cooks up al dente in a fraction of the time it takes to cook rice; making this a quick dish to cook up versus a more traditional Risotto made with rice. Making an authentic Risotto requires a lot of hands on stirring time, and it can be tricky getting the rice cooked nice and tender. Nobody likes a Risotto with hard grains of rice in a runny sauce, and that’s what you often get when you order it at restaurants. Or worse, the rice is over cooked with a sauce that is often too thick and is completely unappetizing. I’ve been so disappointed after ordering Risotto in restaurants that I now keep going down the menu for tastier alternatives.
The good news is you can make an extremely tasty risotto style dish at home in about 30 minutes; no constant stirring required. The pasta mimics the rice in a traditional risotto, and the sauce is perfectly creamy and flavorful. You won’t find any hard kernels or gloopy, unappetizing sauce here!
Start by heating olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat.
Add Italian sausage and cook for about 4-5 minutes, breaking its up with a wooden spatula into small crumbles.
Add diced onion to the pot and continue cooking until onion is soft, about 4-5 minutes.
Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic to the pan. Stir to combine and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add Orzo pasta and stir to combine with the seasoned sausage.
Add 2 cups chicken broth, stir to combine.
Add heavy cream and stir to combine.
Bring mixture to a good simmer. Reduce heat and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Stir in reserved ¼ cup of chicken stock to thin the sauce. When pasta is cooked al dente turn off heat and add the parmesan cheese to the pan. Stir to combine.
Add frozen peas and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
Cover pan with a lid and allow risotto to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve topped with shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.
Round out the meal and serve this delectably creamy dish with a light, fresh, tangy Rockin’ Good Rocket Salad. The tart dressing, and peppery arugula pairs perfectly with the rich, decadent, creaminess of this rich Risotto dish. It has just a few simple ingredients and comes together in a flash. It’s my go to favorite salad for most of the meals I serve my family. Give it a try, I think you will love it too!
Once you try this easy to make Risotto dish, you will never make it any other way again. This one is a keeper!
Creamy Rich Orzo Risotto with Italian Sausage
Equipment
- Dutch oven pot with lid
Ingredients
- 16 oz Italian sausage
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp coarse black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Orzo pasta, uncooked
- 2¼ cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 cup frozen peas
- shaved Parmesan cheese, optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat.
- Add Italian sausage and cook for about 4-5 minutes, breaking its up with a wooden spatula into small crumbles.
- Add diced onion to the pot and continue cooking until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic to the pan. Stir to combine and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add Orzo pasta and stir to combine with the seasoned sausage.
- Add 2 cups chicken broth, stir to combine.
- Add heavy cream and stir to combine.
- Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Stir occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in reserved ¼ cup of chicken stock to thin the sauce.
- When pasta is cooked al dente turn off heat and add the parmesan cheese to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Add frozen peas and stir to combine.
- Cover pan with a lid and allow risotto to rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve topped with shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.
Did You Make This?
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John 6:35
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