One Pan Oven Baked Sausage Orzo - oven roasted sausage in a rich tomato orzo sauce packed with vegetables, topped with roasted cherry tomatoes, feta and basil pesto. A one pot dinner winner!
Hi everyone! Today's recipe is for a sausage pasta bake, that's all cooked in one pot. My One Pan Oven Baked Sausage Orzo. It's all in there - sausages, vegetables and pasta all baked together in one big pan of bubbling italian style tomato orzo sauce. Turn the boring old weeknight sausage into this flavour packed, one pot, sausage pasta bake. Did someone say no extra washing up? I'm in!
This baked pasta with sausage and spinach elevates the humble sausage to the next level, and the oven does all the hard work. You gotta love a one pan dinner, it's the ultimate in easy meals. Great for busy weeknights, or for a weekend when you don't feel like spending all your time in the kitchen cooking. Your family can be eating this one pot wonder of a pasta bake in just one hour!
It's probably about now you are thinking to yourself...where's the pasta? I can't see it in the photo. What's she on about, sausage pasta bake?
The pasta I have used in this oven baked sausage recipe is one you might not have used before, called orzo. Here in Australia we call it risoni. It is available in the pasta aisle of the supermarket or grocery store.
Orzo is a short-cut variety of pasta, in the shape of large grains of rice.
On to the recipe...
Table of Contents
Ingredients for this easy oven baked sausage orzo
- Sausages - I used pork
- Orzo (risoni) pasta
- Chicken stock
- Olive oil
- Tomato passata (pureed tomato)
- Baby spinach
- Red capsicum (bell pepper)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Dried oregano, basil and garlic powder
- Basil pesto
- Danish feta
- Fresh basil leaves to serve - optional
How to cook oven baked sausage orzo
- Place olive oil in a baking dish, then place in the oven to heat for 5 minutes, then add chopped capsicum (bell pepper) to baking dish, stirring to coat, then bake for 5 minutes - see Image 1.
- Remove from the oven, then add chicken stock, orzo (risoni), passata and dried basil, oregano & garlic powder and stir well - see Image 2.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes - see Image 3.
- Remove from oven, then add baby spinach to the tomato and stir well to mix the orzo again and wilt the spinach - see Image 4.
- Lay sausages on top of tomato and spinach mixture, then bake uncovered for 10 minutes - see Image 5.
- Remove from oven, turn the sausages over, then scatter cherry tomatoes over the top and bake uncovered for a further 25 minutes - see Image 6.
- Serve immediately topped with crumbled danish feta, basil pesto and fresh basil leaves (if using).
Sausages are usually more budget friendly than most other protein, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring! This sausage bake is packed with different flavours from the capsicum and spinach, and the saucy tomato pasta is a great match for the sausages. The roasted cherry tomatoes also give little extra pops of moist sweetness throughout the dish when you eat it.
My sausage pasta bake top tips
- I have used pork sausages, but you could use any flavour thick style sausage you like. I'm thinking italian sausages would be good!
- Please don't be tempted to leave off the danish feta and basil pesto - in my opinion, these ingredients really bring this pasta bake to life. For small ingredients they add bags of flavour! In the recipe I have listed 3 tablespoons of pesto - this is really a guide. You could go more or less, depending on your taste. I usually go more!
- Speaking of my opinion...I have said it before, and I will say it again...I promise you will not be sorry if you go to the (small) effort to make your own basil pesto. If you haven't yet, you don't know what you're missing! It tastes so much better than store-bought, and no weird ingredients! Plus it keeps for ages in the fridge. I make up a batch, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, with a thin layer of olive oil over the surface to keep it fresh.
- Passata is a thick tomato puree (not tomato paste), basically like canned tomatoes that have already been pureed. It works really well in recipes like this is because you get a thick, rich tomato based sauce without the extra cooking time that would be needed for canned tomatoes.
Other recipes you make like
Sausage and Mushroom Ragu - another budget winner, just 6 ingredients!
Sausages with Pears Potatoes and Croutons - a one pot dish of potatoes and pears baked in the oven with sausages, and topped with crunchy croutons.
Lamb Sausage Pasta with Basil and Tomato - basil and tomato are a perfect match for lamb, and this recipe uses sausages to make quick but tasty meatballs.
Bacon Wrapped Sausages with Apples and Potatoes - apple and potato are perfect with pork sausages for another simple sausage bake.
Easy Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake - my most popular pasta bake on the blog! Uses rotisserie chicken and a quick 2 ingredient cheese sauce for a sure-fire family favourite!
Tuscan Chicken Thighs - tender chicken thighs smothered in a parmesan cream sauce packed with semi dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and bacon.
This oven roasted sausage pasta bake is one pot, easy on the hip pocket AND tastes really really good! All the things you are looking for in a recipe really!
My prediction is this pasta and sausage bake will be in your regular rotation in no time - it is in our house and even my spinach hating husband loves it!
Happy cooking!
Lee-Ann
📖 Recipe
One Pan Oven Baked Sausage Orzo
Ingredients
- 8 thick sausages I used pork
- 250 g orzo (risoni) pasta (8 oz)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chicken stock (500ml)
- 400 g tomato passata (14 oz) see my notes
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper) roughly chopped
- 60 g baby spinach (2 oz)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 70 g danish feta (2.5 oz) crumbled
- 3 tablespoon basil pesto see my notes for a link to make your own!
- 250 g cherry tomatoes (9 oz)
- fresh basil leaves to serve optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180c (350f).
- Place olive oil (1 tbsp) in a baking dish, then place in the oven to heat for 5 minutes, then add chopped capsicum (bell pepper) to baking dish, stirring to coat. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Add chicken stock (500ml/2 cups), orzo (250g/8oz), passata (400g/14oz) and dried basil (1 tsp), oregano (1 tsp) & garlic powder (½ tsp) to pan with capsicum and stir well. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, meanwhile increasing oven temperature to 200c (395f) then add baby spinach (60g/2oz) to the tomato mixture and stir well to mix the orzo again and wilt the spinach.
- Lay sausages (8) on top of tomato and spinach mixture, then bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and turn the sausages over. Then roughly scatter the cherry tomatoes (250g/9oz) over the top and bake uncovered for a further 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, top with crumbled danish feta (70g), drizzle with basil pesto (3 tbsp) and scatter over fresh basil leaves (if using) to serve.
Notes
- The baking dish I use is enamel, with an overall top measurement of 36cm x 30cm x 5.5cm (14" x 12" x 2") with a 3 litre (3 quart) capacity.
- I have used pork sausages, but you could use any flavour thick style sausage you like. I'm thinking italian sausages would be good!
- Please don't be tempted to leave off the danish feta and basil pesto - in my opinion, these ingredients really bring this pasta bake to life. For small ingredients they add bags of flavour! In the recipe I have listed 3 tablespoons of pesto - this is really a guide. You could go more or less, depending on your taste. I always go more!
- Speaking of my opinion...I have said it before, and I will say it again...I promise you will not be sorry if you go to the (small) effort to make your own basil pesto. If you haven't yet, you don't know what you're missing! It tastes so much better than store-bought, and no weird ingredients! Plus it keeps for ages in the fridge. I make up a batch, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, with a thin layer of olive oil over the surface to keep it fresh.
- Passata is a thick tomato puree (not tomato paste), basically like canned tomatoes that have already been pureed. It works really well in recipes like this because you get a thick, rich tomato based sauce without the extra cooking time that would be needed for canned tomatoes.
Absolutely delicious and a very firm favourite. I stuck to the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly, no need to change a thing. I even made the pesto that was recommended and that was the best pesto I've ever had and will be making on a regular basis. Highly recommend
Awesome Ella! Glad you enjoyed it! BTW how good is homemade pesto??!!