This is one of those recipes you'll want to try when you're tired, don't particularly want to cook, stuff in the grocery store is expensive, and everyone is hungry, you included. The recipe is easy, you can make it on top of the stove in about half an hour (or less), and it's really, really good tasting. It's also cheap (well comparatively!). The meal is made with inexpensive pork breakfast sausage. Yes, I know, it's full of fat. Just drain the sausage super well. The pork sausage is about half the price of turkey sausage and full of flavor. Chopped onions and apples work well with the sausage, and orzo pasta cooks in the pan and provides creaminess to the dish, along with sour cream. This skillet meal makes a great fall supper along with a salad and/or vegetable. Leftovers make good lunches reheated in the microwave. Enjoy!
Pork Breakfast Sausage and Orzo Skillet Meal -- Serves 4+
16 ounces of pork breakfast sausage
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup of orzo pasta
1 medium/large apple, cored and chopped
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 cups of water
1/4 cup of white wine (optional)
1/2 cup of sour cream (light is fine)
2 - 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley (optional but good)
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and crumble in the pork sausage. Saute the sausage until it has cooked through and browned a little. Tip the pan and pour/spoon off the fat. Return the pan to the heat and add the onion and apple to the sausage. Saute the onion and sausage with the pork for a few minutes. Stir in the pasta and saute it for a minute or two with the pork, onion, and apple mixture. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and add the water and wine, if you're using it. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir it well, reduce the heat to a simmer, and partially cover the pan. Let the mixture cook for 10-15 minutes or until the orzo is tender and most, but not all, of the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream and half the chopped parsley. You can add a little more water if you prefer a looser consistency to the pasta. Taste the dish and add a little more salt and pepper, if you like. Sprinkle the remainder of the parsley on top of the pasta and serve the meal from the skillet.
