Sausage Zucchini Skillet + Orzo Recipe
Sausage Zucchini Skillet + Orzo - the perfect way to use those garden-fresh zucchini! Packed with flavor + a meal the whole family will love!
Ingredients
Sausage + Orzo:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth more, if needed
- 1 ½ cups orzo uncooked
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt more, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- scant lemon zest
Zucchini:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 small zucchini sliced + quartered
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
Toppings:
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- additional shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; swirl to coat the pan. Add onion and 1 tablespoon garlic. Move around pan until onion softens and garlic is fragrant; about 1-2 minutes.
- Brown Sausage: Add 1 pound sweet Italian sausage. Break up with spatula and move around pan until fully cooked, approx. 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, if any. Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves and 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves. Stir to combine.
- Simmer: Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1 ½ cups orzo, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and let orzo cook, uncovered, approx. 8-12 minutes or until orzo is cooked al dente. Stir the orzo occasionally and add additional splashes of chicken broth, as needed, if the pan starts to feel dry before the orzo is done - this will help prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Sauté Zucchini: Meanwhile, as the orzo cooks sauté the zucchini. Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl to coat the pan. Add zucchini quarters and toss gently in the butter. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Let cook until zucchini soft, but firm - approx. 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Combine: Once orzo is fully cooked remove from heat. Add the zucchini, ½ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup mozzarella cheese and scant lemon zest for some acidity. Stir gently to combine as the cheese melts (if you don't remove the skillet from the heat the cheese will overheat).
- Adjust: Taste and add additional salt, as needed - this will depend a lot on how salted or seasoned your Italian sausage was so it will differ person to person - taste and add more if you need to.
- Serve: Enjoy with some marinara sauce on top (as much or as little as you want), shredded mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- Sweet Italian Sausage: the sweet italian sausage should be seasoned - if not, taste adjust along the way.
- Lemon Zest: we need just a little here to brighten - you shouldn't really taste the lemon so just add a tiny bit (I used a microplane).
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 676mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 266IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thewoodenskillet on Instagram!
