You can make this easy keto-friendly meal in a single pot. The flavors of Italian sausage, blue and parmesan cheese, and garlic come together to make an amazing dish that you can have in minutes on a weeknight. If you have leftovers,
How Can It Be Low-Carb?
Orzo is a type of pasta, but when you use Great Low-Carb Pasta - Orzo, you are getting a low-carb version. It has only 7 grams of net carbohydrates, while delivering a filling 18 grams of protein and 12 grams of dietary fiber.
What About Low-Calorie Diets?
Are you trying to cut calories to lose weight? With a few modifications, you can turn this into a great-tasting low-calorie recipe! The Orzo has only 110 calories per surviving, or about half the calories that are in regular pasta. Swap low-fat Italian turkey sausage for regular sausage, use fat-free half and half instead of cream, and cut the parmesan cheese to 1 ounce to shave calories off.
How Should I Serve It?
This recipe can be a complete dinner on its own, but you can serve it with a salad if you like. Another option is to add mushrooms or broccoli florets to make it a heartier meal.
Recipe for Keto-Friendly Creamy Italian Sausage Orzo with Blue Cheese
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces of Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- ½ cup of chopped onion, about 1 medium
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, optional or to taste
- 1 package of Great Low-Carb Pasta - Orzo
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- ¾ cup of heavy cream
- 2 ounces (½ cup) of grated parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces of crumbled blue cheese
- 4 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: more parmesan cheese, shaved fennel
Instructions:
- Heat the butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage and cook for 4 minutes. Add the onions and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the onion is softened and the sausage is thoroughly cooked.
- Add the garlic and Great Low Carb Pasta - Orzo and cook, while stirring, for 45 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, and pepper, and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for another 10 minutes, keeping the mixture at a gentle simmer. Stir often and be sure to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot or Dutch oven.
- Stir in the spinach and parmesan cheese and remove the pot from the heat. Cover the pot and let it stand for 2 minutes. Quickly stir in the blue cheese, cover the pot again, and let it stand for another 2 to 3 minutes. During this time, the dish will thicken.
- Plate the orzo and add any desired optional garnishes, such as extra cheese or shaved fennel. Serve and enjoy!