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Smoky Sausage & Prawn Orzo

By Mitch · February 17, 2026

A two-pan, restaurant-style dinner with smoky sausage, sweet prawns, and creamy tomato orzo that lands somewhere between comfort food and date-night pasta, with enough depth from San Marzano tomatoes, toasted spices, and sausage fond to taste like you put in way more effort than you actually did.

Smoky Sausage & Prawn Orzo

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

35 minutes

Serves

6

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450 g) frozen prawns
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 double smoked farmer's sausages, sliced into coins
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 2 cups orzo pasta
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can (800ml) San Marzano whole tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ½ lemon
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tbsp fresh parsley or green onion
  • ½ cup parmesan

Method

  1. 1

    Before you start, thaw frozen prawns in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat them dry very well.

  2. 2

    Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add double smoked farmer's sausages and sear until deeply golden and crisp at the edges, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer sausage to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

  3. 3

    Reduce heat to medium. Add yellow onion and cook until soft and translucent, 4 minutes. Stir in garlic cloves, paprika, and chili flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

  4. 4

    Add orzo pasta and stir to coat in the fat and spices. Toast until lightly nutty, 2 minutes.

  5. 5

    Pour in a cup of the chicken broth and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add San Marzano whole tomatoes (crushed by hand) and the remaining chicken broth. Return sausage to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.

  6. 6

    While the orzo simmers, heat a small skillet over medium-high with a light drizzle of oil. Season the thawed prawns with a pinch of salt. Cook until just pink and barely opaque, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from heat.

  7. 7

    Fold the prawns into the orzo. Stir in butter and squeeze in lemon. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Finish with fresh parsley or green onion (chopped) and optional parmesan (grated). Serve with the remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

  • Sausage carries a lot of seasoning, so taste before adding extra salt.
  • Stir in a handful of baby spinach or frozen peas at the end for easy color.
  • If the orzo is done but still soupy, raise heat and stir for a couple of minutes so the starch tightens the sauce.
  • If it dries out early, add a splash more broth.
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