Sausage Orzo With Sage Bread Crumbs

Written by on in Simple

This creamy one-pot dinner is quick, cozy and full of flavor. Sage-infused brown butter lends warmth and extra nuttiness to the crunchy, toasted bread-crumb topping.

Ready In35 min
Yield:4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
  • ½ cup panko or fresh bread crumbs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed if necessary
  • 1 ½ cups orzo (10 ounces)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • 2 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (1 cup firmly packed freshly grated or ½ cup store-bought grated)

Preparation

Step 1

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sage and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the butter is golden brown and has a nutty, fragrant aroma, about 2 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring and scraping frequently, until the bread crumbs are toasted, 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper then set aside.

Step 2

Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove. Add the olive oil and heat on medium. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.

Step 3

Add the orzo and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 4

Add the water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent the orzo from sticking, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is al dente, about 10 minutes.

Step 5

Remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan and stir vigorously until the orzo is very creamy and any excess liquid has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Stir in half of the bread crumbs. Serve garnished with the remaining bread crumbs.

Notes:

while plenty of Parmesan delivers its signature salty, savory flavor. Italian sausage adds staying power, though you can leave it out and stir in a can of drained and rinsed white beans instead or even wilt in several handfuls of baby spinach or kale, if you prefer. If you’re out of fresh sage, play around with other fragrant herbs like rosemary, oregano or thyme.

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