One pan apple chicken sausage recipe with orzo pasta and broccolini is the perfect weeknight meal. A healthy one-pot meal that is as delicious as it is quick and easy. Ready in just under 30 minutes, this simple yet flavorful meal will become a new family favorite.
My love for one pan dinners knows no bounds, and they are especially helpful right now during our chicken remodel. I still have a stovetop, but we have a laundry sink hooked and no dishwasher, so limiting the dishes I have to wash is a huge bonus! Did I also mention how great it is to get your protein, carb and veggie all in one meal?!
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Why this recipe works
- Wholesome and well-balanced, hitting all the major macronutrients! Lean protein, green veggies and a healthy carb all in one.
- Great dish to make ahead for meal prep! Pack a week’s worth of lunches with this one meal, and leftovers taste even better the next day!
- But hands down one of the best things about this chicken apple sausage recipe is its quick and easy prep and clean-up.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cooked apple chicken sausage, but honestly feel free to sub in whatever sausage you love or have on hand. A spicy pork would be amazing.
- Orzo pasta – either whole wheat or enriched, but do note that whole wheat will take a bit longer to cook and may need more chicken broth (will include a note in the recipe card)
- Broccolini cut into smaller pieces
- Aromatics and seasonings including diced onions, lemon zest, garlic, sea salt and black pepper, and red chili pepper flakes
Step-by-step instructions
Dice your onions, slice sausages and cut up broccolini into thinner strips as pictured. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium high heat, and add the diced onion and sausage pieces.
Sauté until onions are translucent and sausage pieces are lightly browned.
Add the orzo and garlic, and cook for another minute or two on medium heat, stirring well.
Stir in the broth, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low for for about 8 minutes till orzo is al dente but still liquidy.
Add in the broccolini and recover the pan, cooking till liquid is absorbed and broccolini is tender but not overcooked, about 5-10 minutes more. Stir in the parmesan cheese and lemon zest, and adjust salt and red pepper flakes to your personal preference. Serve immediately.
This is the perfect meal for an easy weeknight dinner and has such a nice flavor. The sausages with the pasta and broccolini makes the perfect combination. The sausages lends the perfect sweet flavor to the savory flavor of the parmesan orzo.
Expert Cooking Tips
If using whole wheat orzo, you will have to add extra chicken broth, about ¼ -½ cup, and cook for an extra 5-10 minutes. Whole wheat pastas do take longer to cook and therefore will require a bit more liquid, so plan accordingly.
This sweet apple chicken sausage pasta dish tastes delicious served immediately, but for meal prep and reheating leftovers, keep in mind that the pasta may dry out a tiny bit. If this is the case, simply add a tablespoon of broth to the dish when reheating. A simple little step that does a lot and makes it taste like it came right off the stove!
If you would like to add a bit more of a lemony flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the cooking broth, on top of the lemon zest.
Adding grated parmesan to the dish will make the broth turn into an almost creamy cheese sauce, similar to a risotto. You can also use shredded parmesan if that is all you have on hand, but I find it doesn’t melt down as well as grated.
Recipe FAQ’s?
Brussels sprouts sliced thin would be a fun addition, as well as fancy English peas.
A sweet pineapple Hawaiian style chicken sausage would be delicious, as well as a ground meat sausage. To use a ground meat sausage, simple remove sausage from the casings as instructed in this pasta and sausage recipe, and sauté up just like you would the sliced sausages, making sure to cook through since they are raw.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or rating, letting me know how you enjoyed it! Connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest, and never miss a post by signing up for my weekly newsletter!
Apple Chicken Sausage Recipe with Orzo and Broccolini
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces Apple chicken sausage sliced
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb broccolini cut into thin pieces
- 2 cups chicken broth use 2.25 – 2.5 cups if using whole wheat orzo
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium high heat, and add the diced onion and sausage pieces. Sauté until onions are translucent and sausage pieces are lightly browned.
- Add the orzo and garlic, and cook for another minute or two on medium heat, stirring well.
- Stir in the broth, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low for for about 6-8 minutes till orzo is al dente but still liquidy.
- Add in the broccolini and recover the pan, cooking till liquid is absorbed and broccolini is tender but not overcooked, about 5-10 minutes more.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and lemon zest, and adjust salt and red pepper flakes to your personal preference. Serve immediately.
Stephen Herrell says
I made this for dinner tonight. It was simple, quick and delicious. I substituted kale for the
broccolini. I precooked the kale to get it tender and then folded it into the orzo.
Steve
Travis Ashmore says
Please adjust ingredients as lemon zest is not listed but is noted in instructions. Making right now and it smells fantastic!
Nicole says
I made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delicious! I used regular broccoli (just sliced thin). My only issue was orzo sticking to the bottom of the pan but that could very well have been due to my pan (stainless steel). Will definitely make this again!
Andrea Howe says
thanks so much for letting me know, Nicole. So glad you loved! And yes, with a stainless pan there is a high chance the bottom layer of orzo will stick. Coating the pan with some oil first should help. I’ll add that to the recipe notes
Nicolr says
I made it again this evening and was just a bit more attentive than the first time I made it. Came out great!
Andrea Howe says
that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Sydney says
Is the orzo supposed to be cooked before it’s added to the pan?
Andrea Howe says
no, it cooks in the broth straight in the pan
Liz says
This recipe sounds like a great spring recipe – maybe because of the word “apple!” My family would enjoy this recipe! Will have to give it a try this week!