This Italian sausage orzo is a lighter and brighter take on a dish with classic Italian flavors. It’s restaurant quality, flavor packed, and includes both broccoli rabe and mushrooms.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the vegetables – slice the mushrooms into ¼” thick slices, cut the broccoli rabe leaves into 2” pieces, and thinly slice the broccoli rabe stems. Also mince the garlic and slice the green onions.

Step 2: Heat a medium sized pot on medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the ½ lb of sausage – brown and break this up into bite sized pieces. Once slightly brown, about 2-3 minutes, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until both the sausage and mushrooms are caramelized (golden brown edges), about another 5-6 minutes. Add the chopped scallions, minced garlic, and red chili flake and give everything a stir. 

Step 3: To the pan, add the orzo and another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Give everything a stir, then add in the chicken broth and broccoli rabe stems. Add in a pinch of salt and black pepper. Let this come to a simmer, reduce meat to medium, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. 

Step 4: Once the orzo is cooked (I always like to taste a piece after 10 minutes), there should be a bit of liquid left. If not, go ahead and add another splash of water or chicken broth. Add in the and ⅓ cup of grated parmesan cheese. Stir everything together, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. 

Step 5: Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired, plate, garnish with more parmesan cheese, and serve.

Ingredients and Substitutions – Vegetables

Broccoli Rabe – A strong vegetable that brings a slightly bitter, but fresh flavor to the dish. I add the stems to cook with the orzo, and then add the leaves after the orzo is finished cooking to keep the integrity of the leaf texture and the vibrant green color.

Mushrooms – Another star of the show, mushrooms add a textural component as well as substance to bring this dish to a one pan meal. I like to cook them after slightly cooking the sausage, as the mushrooms will brown in the sausage fat. Feel free to leave these out, or you can substitute with thin pieces of tofu. I also like to use brown button mushrooms, but you can use any mushroom you prefer.

Aromatics – The flavor boosters in this dish include garlic, scallions, and red pepper flake. These are all common ingredients that can also be used for other recipes, and I always like to say that even if you don’t really enjoy spicy food, try a pinch of red pepper flake to enhance the flavor of the entire dish!

Ingredients and Substitutions – Other

Orzo – A small, rice shaped pasta that is the heart of this dish. The orzo is cooked in chicken broth and the myriad of flavors from the Italian sausage, mushrooms, garlic, and scallions. Feel free to use a gluten free orzo or you can also substitute with farro.

Italian Sausage – A flavor packed element that can be easily substituted with ground chicken or ground pork. If substituting with ground meat, add extra salt and pepper, and spices like fennel seeds, coriander, and a pinch of sugar. If trying to keep this vegetarian, you can substitute beyond meat or crumbled extra firm tofu.

Chicken Broth – A key ingredient in bringing umami and additional flavor to the dish. You can substitute this with vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.

Parmesan Cheese – Another ingredient in making this restaurant quality – this adds a creamy texture to the overall dish without adding butter or heavy cream. I prefer this method as it’s lighter but still carries the texture and flavor of some of those richer ingredients.

Video Tutorial

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