Cajun Sausage Orzo
357kcal
Ingredients
- 6 vegetarian sausages skins removed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1.5 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1 roasted red pepper diced
- 1 cup dried orzo
- 400 g tinned chopped Tomatoes
- 300 ml vegetable Stock
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese
- 80 g spinach
- 40 g grated parmesan/hard cheese
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves
Method
- Remove the sausages from their skins and chop or tear them into chunks.6 vegetarian sausages
- Heat the oil in a pan, then add the sausage chunks and fry for 5 minutes until golden.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes until softened.1 red onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the tomato puree and cajun seasoning. Stir into the other ingredients until the tomato puree has deepend in colour.1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1.5 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, orzo, stock, and roasted red peppers. Stir everything together and cook on low for 10 - 15 minutes until the orzo is cooked through. Stir occasionally to avoid the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan.1 cup dried orzo, 400 g tinned chopped Tomatoes, 300 ml vegetable Stock, 1 roasted red pepper
- Before serving, stir in the cream cheese, spinach, and grated parmesan.2 tablespoon cream cheese, 80 g spinach, 40 g grated parmesan/hard cheese
- Top with fresh basil and chili flakes.6-8 fresh basil leaves
Nutrition
Calories357kcalCarbohydrates43gProtein36gFat53gSaturated Fat17gPolyunsaturated Fat7gMonounsaturated Fat23gTrans Fat0.4gCholesterol131mgSodium1832mgPotassium1027mgFiber5gSugar8gVitamin A2940IUVitamin C24mgCalcium184mgIron5mg
Notes
Here are a couple of tips I’ve picked up while testing the recipe.
- Peel and chunk the sausages: Removing the skins from the sausages is a gamechanger. Even though their vegetarian sausages, most come in a casing - removing this and then tearing the sausages into rustic chunks gives you more surface area for browning. Crispy, golden sausage pieces add so much more flavor than neat slices.
- Stir the orzo often: One-pot orzo dishes are great for the convenience and minimum washing up, but I have found that orzo sticks to the bottom of the pan as it cooks. Make sure you stir it every couple of minutes, scraping the bottom, to prevent it from sticking and burning.
- Add cream cheese off the heat: Stirring cream cheese into the pan while it’s still on high heat can cause it to split. Remove from the heat (or turn to low) before adding it, and stir until smooth.