Orzo with Sausage and Peppers

Orzo might be one of my favorite forms of pasta. It's extremely quick-cooking, and looks a lot like rice. Orzo is quite versatile, and can be used in a main dish or a side dish.

I often use orzo to make light dishes with fresh vegetables, since it doesn't hold sauces as well as larger pasta shapes. Here's one of my favorite dishes using orzo.

Enjoy!

(serves 4-5)
 1 quart water
1 t Kosher salt
1 c orzo
1 T olive oil
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
2 Italian sausage links, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I like to use my homemade marinara)

Fill a medium saucepan with water, leaving about 1 inch at the top. Add the salt, and bring the water to a full boil. Add the pasta. Stir and bring back to a boil for 8-10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onions, and sausage. Saute until the veggies are tender and the sausage is warmed through (or fully-cooked if the sausage was not cooked before).

When the pasta is cooked through, drain well (I like to use a mesh strainer for orzo so I don't sacrifice any to the plumbing gods). Return to the saucepan and add the sauce.

Stir in the veggie mixture and serve.

This recipe, sans meat, is also a favorite of The Munchkin's. She decided to forego the spoon altogether tonight and dive in with both hands!