One Pot Cheesy Sausage+Peppers Orzo w/ Red Sauce
Sausage and Peppers but Fancy and Affordable AF.
If you’re from the Northeast, then you probably love sausage and peppers. And if you don’t love sausage and peppers, it’s probably because you’ve been forced to eat too many sausage and peppers in your life. There’s just something comforting about it. The smells, the flavors, it just reminds me of a homey night in with family and friends.
But as somebody that loves it dearly, I do get tired of the same old S+P on a roll. S+P in a red sauce. All that jazz. It is such a great flavor pairing that there are so many more ways that we can prepare them. Most of you have probably already seen the one-pan sausage and peppers we did before. (If you haven’t, go back and try that one first.) That dish actually inspired me to continue exploring different recipes with those as the main attraction.
Thus, Cheesy Sausage and Pepper Orzo w/ Red Sauce was born. This dish is the perfect balance of flavor, comfort AND affordability. But there is so much more to this dish. What this shows you is how versatile ingredients are. That is a very important tool to have in your kitchen.
Unfortunately, the financial woes of the times aren’t going away anytime soon. So we are doomed to eat the same affordable ingredients more often than not. But you can do so much more with the same ingredients you’ve used 1000 times. Try messing with your recipes. Use the protein in a different dish. Change the flavors from Italian to Mexican or Mexican to Asian. You are so much more capable than you give yourself credit for, and yes, a sausage and pepper recipe really can highlight all of that.
So let this be your jumping-off point to start fiddling with your own recipes. Make some changes, make some adjustments and see what happens. Worst-case scenario, it may not taste great, but hey, that’s where growth happens.
Estimated Time: 30 min
Serves: 4-6
Tools:
One pot
Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry orzo
1 cup chicken broth
28 oz crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (one can)
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup grated parmesan
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper
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