If you desire an elegant meal for your man that’s made with ease, this amazing dish of flavor-fire is sure to please. Show him your amazing multi-tasking skills of spending quality time with him, while simultaneously flexing your prime pasta skills by cooking up some of your famous Toscana Orzo. Add together tender orzo pasta, bright carrots, spicy sausage, and creamy pecorino… it’s sure to have him singing soprano! It’s always that pasta-loving season with cheesy Toscana Orzo!
Ingredients
For the orzo:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots, grated
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup orzo
- 2 cups chicken broth, can substitute vegetable broth
- 2 cups kale, finely chopped
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup pecorino cheese, shredded
- black pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes:
- 1/2 lemon, freshly juiced
- pecorino, to taste, shredded
- flaky salt, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, the onions, the carrots, and the salt, and cook, while stirring frequently, until the veggies are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 2 –Add the sausage to the onion mixture and cook, while crumbling the meat, until the pork is no longer pink and the sausage is about 75% browned, about 5 minutes.
Step 3 –Add the garlic to the sausage mixture and cook until the sausage is completely cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the orzo and the chicken broth to the sausage mixture and cook, while stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a simmer.
Step 5 –Cover the pot and let it simmer until the orzo is just starting to soften, about 6 minutes.
Step 6 –Add the kale and the milk to the orzo mixture and stir to combine.
Step 7 –Cover the pot and cook the orzo mixture until the pasta is al dente and the kale is tender, about 4 minutes.
Step 8 –Add 1/2 cup of the pecorino cheese to the orzo mixture and stir to combine.
Step 9 –Taste the orzo mixture and season it with the salt and the black pepper, as needed.
Step 10 –Serve garnished with the fresh lemon juice, the remaining pecorino cheese, the flaky salt, and the crushed red pepper flakes.
