Sausage, pepper and tomato orzo
A one-pot sausage dinner with orzo simmered directly in tomato sauce. Stir regularly so the small pasta shapes do not stick to the base.
An original Recipe From Fridge editorial recipe idea. Timings are estimates; check doneness as described, not by the clock alone.
Ingredients
- 400g raw pork sausages, cut into 3cm pieces
- 250g dry orzo
- 2 peppers, diced
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 600ml hot vegetable stock
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Method
- Prepare safely
Dice onion and peppers first. Cut raw sausages with a separate knife and board, then wash hands and equipment. Make up stock according to its packet and measure the dry orzo.
- Brown the sausages
Heat oil in a large deep lidded frying pan over medium heat. Turn sausage pieces for 7–8 minutes until coloured outside; they will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer to a plate reserved for partially cooked meat.
- Soften the vegetables
In the same pan, cook onion and peppers for 7 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes, stock and oregano, then return sausages and all their juices.
- Cook the orzo
Bring to a simmer, stir in orzo and cook partly covered for 12–15 minutes or its longer packet time. Stir every couple of minutes and add hot water in small amounts if the pasta absorbs liquid before becoming tender.
- Check and serve
Check orzo is tender and the centres of the thickest sausage pieces reach 75°C for 30 seconds. Continue cooking if needed. Stand for 2 minutes, stir and divide between four bowls.
Make it work with what you have
- Orzo is pasta, not rice; do not replace it with uncooked rice using these liquid amounts and timings.
- Sausages differ in salt and seasoning, so taste before adding anything else.