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This flavourful tomato sausage orzo has got a bit of Spanish-Italian feel to it with the addition of tomatoes, olives and capers to the little bites of orzo pasta. I like to use flavoured pork sausages, but you can use regular pork, chicken sausages or even vegetarian sausages.
Nicky’s Notes
I first developed this for my book Quick & Easy Dinners—a proper weeknight lifeline when I wanted big, bright flavour without faff.
While the orzo gently simmers in that smoky tomato base, I brown the sausages separately (grill or air fryer) so they keep a lovely snap and don’t steam the pan.
The chilli and smoked paprika bring cosy warmth, olives and capers add that briny lift, and a handful of rocket stirred in at the end keeps everything lively and fresh. It’s the kind of skillet supper that feels a bit sunny—even on a Tuesday.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients
- Sausages: Use your favourite—plain pork, herby Italian, black pepper, or spicy/chilli sausages (delish if you like heat). Veggie sausages work well; swap to veg stock to keep it vegetarian.
- Greens: Swap rocket for baby spinach or lamb’s lettuce.
- Olives/Capers: Not a fan? Use chopped semi-dried tomatoes for sweetness.
- Stock: Chicken or veg; low-sodium if your olives are quite salty.
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
Brown the sausages (grill/air fryer) until cooked, then slice.
Soften onion and peppers; stir in garlic, chilli, smoked paprika and tomato purée.
Add chopped tomatoes, stock and orzo; simmer gently, stirring, then fold in olives, capers and cherry tomatoes. Stir in the sliced sausages and rocket to wilt, then serve.
Recipe Tips
- Plain pork sausages work well in this dish, but sometimes I like to change it up using flavoured sausages. Spicy/chilli sausage, black pepper sausage, and Italian-herb sausage all work well.
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Pin ItWhy This Recipe Works
- Built-in veg: Peppers, onion and cherry tomatoes make it a full meal in one pan.
- Balanced flavours: Sweet tomatoes + smoky paprika + chilli heat + salty olives/capers = layered, lively sauce.
- Right starch, right method: Orzo gives risotto-ish comfort in a fraction of the time, and cooking it directly in the sauce builds body without extra cream.
- Textural contrast: Charred sausage slices stirred in at the end keep their meaty bite.
🍽️ What to serve it with
I like to place the pan down on the table alongside a nice green salad and let everyone dig in. If we’re feeling a little extra hungry then maybe I’ll whip up some homemade garlic bread to go alongside.
📺 Watch how to make it
Tomato Sausage Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 medium pork sausages flavoured or plain – see tip
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper deseeded and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder mild or hot, depending how hot you like it
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 400 g (14oz) tin finely chopped tomatoes
- 360 ml (1 ½ cups) chicken stock
- 200 g (7oz) dried orzo
- 100 g (3.5oz) mixed olives de-stoned and sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- 12 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 50 g (2 packed cups) mild rocket (or lamb’s lettuce)
Instructions
- Place the sausages on a grill tray and place under the grill (broiler) for 20 minutes, turning regularly, until browned all over and cooked through. Alternatively, If you have an air fryer, they can be air fried for 10-12 minutes at 200C/400F.6 medium pork sausages
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Add in the onion, red and green peppers. Cook for 4-5minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion starts to soften.1 tablespoon oil, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper
- Add the garlic, chilli powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and tomato puree to the pan and stir together for one minute.2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- Add the tinned tomatoes and chicken stock, stir and bring to the boil, then add in the orzo.400 g (14oz) tin finely chopped tomatoes, 360 ml (1 ½ cups) chicken stock, 200 g (7oz) dried orzo
- Stir together, then add the olives, capers and cherry tomatoes.100 g (3.5oz) mixed olives, 1 tablespoon capers, 12 cherry tomatoes
- Turn down the heat, so the liquid is simmering very gently, place a lid on and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is cooked.
- By now, the sausages should be cooked. Place the sausages on a chopped board and cut into thick slices.
- Remove the lid from the pan, then stir in the sliced sausages and rocket – it should wilt a little as you stir it in.50 g (2 packed cups) mild rocket
- Divide between bowls and serve.
Video
Notes
Sausages:
Plain pork sausages work well in this dish, but sometimes I like to change it up using flavoured sausages. Spicy/chilli sausage, black pepper sausage, and Italian-herb sausage all work well.Make it vegetarian:
Replace the pork sausages with vegetarian sausages and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.Leftovers
This recipe is best served right away, so I don’t recommend making it ahead. If you make it ahead and try to reheat, you’ll find that the orzo becomes claggy however if you’ve got leftovers then:- Cool and refrigerate in a airtight container for up to 2 days.
- reheat in the microwave with a splash of water/stock over stirring occasionally until piping hot throughout. The orzo will have drunk the sauce—add a little more liquid to loosen.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
🍝 More Perfect Pasta Recipes
This Recipe is in my cookbook!
Quick & Easy contains 90 recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less!
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