Garlic & Parmesan Sausage Orzo

Creamy orzo loaded with roasted garlic, soft & juicy sausage and plenty of parmesan!

As one of my most loved and most popular recipes, I had to include this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’!

Roasted Garlic

One thing that really takes this dish to the next level is roasting the garlic.  When you roast garlic it turns gorgeously sweet and sticky. It completely transforms the flavour of the garlic into a much more subtle, nutty flavour.

The texture of the garlic also transforms too. Roasting the garlic low and slow turns the garlic buttery soft. It can then be squeezed out of the skins and blended into the sauce with ease.

Process shots: slice garlic bulb (photo 1), wrap in foil (photo 2), roast (photo 3), squeeze out garlic and smooth with fork (photo 4).

Sausage Orzo

When I first tested this recipe I crumbled the sausage as it browned. However, I found it kind of got lost in the sauce. As such, we’ve ended up with larger chunks of sausage; kind of like mini meatballs.

What kind of sausage should I use?

I typically just use store-bought sausage meat. No fancy flavours added, I don’t think you need them. If you can’t find ground sausage meat you could just squeeze the meat from some pork sausages. If you’re in the US and have access to plain sausage meat use that, if not I imagine mild Italian sausage will work just fine.

Browning the sausage

A key step in frying the sausage is ensuring it gains a nice crust. You want to brown the sausage properly to develop flavour. You might also find that some of the sausage meat sticks to the pan and lightly chars. This is flavour – don’t waste it! This is where I grab some white wine and deglaze the pan to pick up all that bonus flavour.

Uncooked Orzo

Instead of cooking the orzo separately and then combining it with the sauce, we’re actually going to cook it in the sauce. Not only does this mean less washing up, but it also means the excess starch from the orzo will help create a glossy/creamy sauce.

Process shots: add sausage to pan (photo 1), brown (photo 2), deglaze with wine then add orzo (photo 3), stir to combine (photo 4).

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

Once the orzo is in the pan, you’ll want to go in with a combination of chicken stock and cream, which will create the base of the sauce for the orzo to cook in. You’ll want to simmer until the orzo is al dente (still a teeny bit hard), then you can go in with the roasted garlic, parmesan and parsley.

It’s important that both the parmesan and parsley are fresh. The dusty packaged parmesan will throw off the flavour and could potentially cause a grainy texture. Dried parsley simply won’t add the fresh burst of flavour or colour you’re looking for.

Process shots: add stock and cream (photo 5), simmer (photo 6), add garlic, parmesan & parsley (photo 7), stir to combine (photo 8).

Serving Garlic Parmesan Sausage Orzo

As you stir in the parmesan, the sauce will begin to thicken. You can control the sauce’s consistency by adding a dash of stock or water. If you go a little overboard, or the sauce isn’t quite thick enough, just gently simmer and stir until your preferred texture.

To serve, I usually add any leftover parsley/parmesan I’ve got lurking about, but that’s completely optional. No sides needed – this is a rich and hearty meal!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this sausage garlic parmesan orzo shall we?!

How to make Garlic Parmesan Sausage Orzo (Full Recipe & Video)

Garlic & Parmesan Sausage Orzo

Creamy orzo loaded with roasted garlic, soft & juicy sausage and plenty of parmesan!

5 from 7 votes

Save Saved! Print Pin Rate

Servings (click & slide): 4

Course: Dinner / Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Calories per serving: 1228kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost per serving: £3 / $3.50

Cook Mode(prevent your screen from going dark)

Equipment:

• Large Deep Cast Iron Skillet or Large Pot
• Wooden Spoon
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Aluminium Foil
• Fine Cheese Grater
• Jug (for stock)

Ingredients (check list):

• ▢ 2 cups / 400g uncooked Orzo
• ▢ 1.3lb / 600g Ground Sausage Meat (see notes)
• ▢ 3 1/2 cups / 875ml Chicken Stock, plus more if needed (make 5 or so mins ahead of time)
• ▢ 1 cup / 250ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 120ml Dry White Wine
• ▢ 3/4 cup / 60g freshly grated Parmesan
• ▢ 2-3 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley
• ▢ 1 small bulb Garlic
• ▢ Olive Oil, as needed
• ▢ Salt & Pepper, as needed

Instructions:

• Slice the tip off the garlic bulb to expose the cloves and drizzle with oil. Wrap in foil then place in the oven at 180C/356F for 50-60mins, or until super soft, golden brown and caramelized. Leave to cool for a few mins, then squeeze out as much as you can, making sure the outer peel doesn't mix in. Sprinkle over a pinch of salt then mash with a fork to smooth out any lumpy parts.
• Meanwhile, add a drizzle of oil to a large deep pan or pot over medium-high heat. Tear small chunks from the sausage meat and add to the pan (size of mini meatballs). Fry until deep golden with a nice crust (important to develop flavour). Pour in the wine and lower heat slightly to medium. Simmer until it mostly evaporates, using your wooden spoon to scrape off any flavour from the base of the pan.
• Stir in orzo, then pour in stock and cream. Give it a good stir then bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat down slightly and simmer until the orzo is al dente and the sauce has thickened to a risotto-style consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in parmesan, parsley and roasted garlic, then check for seasoning and adjust if desired. Stir in a splash of stock or water if you over-reduce the sauce.
• Serve up with more parsley and/or parmesan if desired then tuck in and enjoy!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Sausage - If you're in the UK I recommend grabbing a pack of plain sausage meat. Failing that, just squeeze the meat from some pork sausages. US - if you can get plain sausage meat use that, if not I imagine mild Italian sausage will work just fine.

b) Parmesan - Make sure it's freshly grated. The powdery stuff doesn't always melt into a silky sauce and can sometimes turn it grainy.

c) Stock/Cream - Important your cream is at room temp and your stock isn't piping hot or it'll curdle the cream. Also just make sure you're definitely using heavy (US) or double (UK) cream. Anything thinner (i.e. half and half or milk) may curdle.

d) Calories - Based on 1.5 tbsp olive oil total and shared between 4.

Your Private Notes:

Click here to add your own private notes or reminders about this recipe.

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

Garlic & Parmesan Sausage Orzo

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1228 Calories from Fat 726

% Daily Value*

Fat 80.62g124%

Saturated Fat 34.199g171%

Trans Fat 0.167g

Polyunsaturated Fat 8.491g

Monounsaturated Fat 33.089g

Cholesterol 210mg70%

Sodium 1445mg60%

Potassium 797mg23%

Carbohydrates 86.89g29%

Fiber 11.2g45%

Sugar 2.02g2%

Protein 35.39g71%

Vitamin A 1428IU29%

Vitamin C 7.9mg10%

Calcium 243mg24%

Iron 3.11mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

Tried this recipe?Show me how you got on by tagging @dontgobaconmyheart_ on IG and #dontgobaconmyheart

Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

For more garlic parmesan recipes check out my Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers and Garlic Parmesan Duchess Potatoes!

Looking for more similar recipes? Check out these beauties:

Delicious Orzo Recipes

• Lemon Chicken Orzo
• Baked Chicken Meatballs & Orzo
• Creamy Mushroom Orzo
• Spanish Chicken Orzo
• Tomato Spinach Bacon Orzo
• ‘Nduja Orzo