One Pot Orzo and Meatballs

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to get dinner on the table, during the week, as quick and painless as possible. Especially because I literally just cook all day long for work, and so the last thing I want to do is spend more time in the kitchen. With that being said, I don’t want dinner to be boring or flavorless. This One Pot Orzo and Meatballs is like spaghetti and meatballs but with orzo instead of spaghetti and the best part is that it’s all made in one pot. You don’t have to worry about dirtying too many dishes, which is a bonus! This post/recipe is here to help you during those mid-week dinner conundrums.

Divide and shape the Italian sausage into 1-inch balls and set aside.

**Note: I’m using Hot Italian Sausage for this, as it makes this dish super easy and simple without having to worry about making meatballs from scratch. Feel free to use sweet, mild or even chicken sausage for this.**

Set a large shallow dutch oven over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle in the olive oil and place the meatballs in a single layer. Cook the meatballs on both sides until browned, but not fully cooked through, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

**Note: Make sure not to over-crowd the pan or else they won’t brown properly. If need be, do this in batches.**

Add in the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and the oregano, basil, fennel and crushed red pepper flakes.

Stir in the orzo and cook until golden brown and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes.

**Note: Don’t skip this step as it’ll really develop the best flavor out of the orzo. Toasting it in the oil will make a world of difference.**

Add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Again, cooking the tomato paste for a bit as well, will develop it’s flavor.

Stir in the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add in the meatballs and give it all a stir. Cook, stirring often so that the pasta doesn’t stick and burn, until the orzo has softened and the sauce has thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes.

**Note: Make sure to stir this every now and then, especially if using a enameled dutch oven as it’ll have a tendency to stick and burn if you’re not careful.**

To make the gremolata, in a medium bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper.

**Tip: You can easily double or triple this and keep it in the fridge for all sorts of different dishes. Or you might just want to add more to this dish when eating it.**

To serve, spoon the orzo and meatballs into serving bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese and the homemade gremolata. 

**Note: If you don’t want to make the gremolata or are short on time, you can get the same effect by topping it with store-bought pesto.**

This is the type of dish that just gets better and better the longer it sits, so leftovers are amazing. Even if there’s just one or two of you and you don’t want to make the full batch, I highly encourage you to make it all so that you have delicious leftovers throughout the week.

You can easily adapt this to be vegetarian if you swap out the Italian sausage with that impossible or vegan “sausage meat.” Just make as directed but use that instead and you’ll be good to go.

Serve this with some toasted bread slices or garlic bread for sopping up all of that delicious sauce. It would be great with a simple salad as well for a complete meal.

I can’t recommend this dish enough, especially when you want a stress-free, low-effort meal. It’s like spaghetti and meatballs but you don’t need to worry about boiling the noodles or dirtying so many different dishes. All you need is a single pot and you’re set. Let me know what you think below. Thank you for reading and following along.