Garlic Parmesan Sausage Orzo

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)

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: