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Ok, you want to know a secret? I don’t love pasta. At least I thought I didn’t. And for a long time I just thought pasta was not my thing, until I realized it was. In my past I had eaten too many mediocre pasta dishes and I had the recent revelation that pasta is only as good as the sauce you eat it with. And that is what makes all the difference. You may be asking me, why in the world am I talking about pasta. Hello Sonora pasta is made out of wheat! But I am here to let you know that someone on God’s good earth thought to make pasta out of cassava flour. Amen and amen, let the angels sing! This skillet AIP pasta recipe is for all you pasta lovers out there! It makes a great AIP Dinner idea or Lunch idea! Let me tell you, eating grain free does not mean saying goodbye to your love of pasta!
This Creamy Italian Sausage Orzo makes a perfect AIP dinner recipe! This AIP Pasta recipe is packed with veggies: onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and cauliflower, and covered in a dreamy creamy AIP sauce. The Italian herbs blend beautifully with the veggies and AIP pasta, plus you get a punch with the Italian sausage. This dish is AIP, Paleo, grain-free, and allergen friendly. For all of you missing pasta, this one’s for you.
One Skillet AIP dinner Ideas
This AIP dinner idea takes 25 minutes to make, and it is a one skillet meal! Can I get a hallelujah for spending less time in the kitchen but still being able to make a delicious meal! I am a huge fan of one skillet meals because they make meals so much simpler. I am a firm believer that cast iron skillets make everything better. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you need one for your kitchen. This Lodge cast iron is my favorite brand because it is made in the U.S. and sold at an affordable price
Tips for making this AIP Pasta Recipe
Can I use a different type of pasta in this AIP dinner recipe?
This recipe is specifically designed for orzo pasta, but you could easily use spaghetti, penne, or other types of pasta. If you are not using orzo, measure your pasta by weight. I used about 3 oz. of pasta in this recipe. You also want to make sure that the liquid in the pan covers the pasta. If you use a different type of pasta, you may need to add more liquid (chicken broth or water) so that the pasta is covered and can cook evenly.
Do I need to use cassava flour AIP pasta?
If you are trying to be AIP compliant then you should use a cassava flour pasta. Jovial is the brand that I use and has great options. You can order it off of Amazon here. The price is better if you buy several boxes at a time. This will get you 3 boxes of orzo, which will give you about 16 servings of this recipe. They also have an assortment of orzo and two different pastas if you want to try different types. If you are only trying to be gluten free then in this recipe you can use your favorite brand of gluten free pasta.
Do I need to use fresh thyme and garlic?
I prefer using fresh ingredients when I can, but you can easily substitute dried garlic and thyme in this recipe. As a general rule of thumb, use ⅛ teaspoon Of garlic powder for every clove of garlic. So for this recipe you will need ⅜ teaspoon of garlic powder to substitute for the 3 cloves of garlic. For the thyme, use about ¾ teaspoon dried thyme to substitute the 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme.
How to make this Creamy Italian Orzo AIP Pasta Recipe
In a large skillet add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set to medium heat on the stovetop.
While the skillet heats, chop your onion into small pieces. Once the onion is chopped into pieces, add it to the skillet and let cook for about 2 minutes.
Mince your cloves of garlic and add to the skillet along with the Italian sausage once the onions have cooked. If you are using garlic powder, wait and add the garlic with the rest of the herbs. Let the sausage cook for about 2-3 minutes with the onions and garlic
Chop the zucchini into thin slices and add them to the skillet. You may need to add more oil to the skillet when you add the zucchini. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.
Chop the mushrooms and when the zucchini has cooked, add the mushrooms and riced cauliflower to the skillet. Add the herbs to the vegetables in the skillet and let them cook for another 3 minutes stirring occasionally and adding oil as needed so the veggies do not stick to the bottom of the skillet.
Cooking the AIP Pasta
Next add the orzo to the skillet with ¾ cup of the chicken broth and ½ cup of the coconut milk. Let the orzo cook for 7 minutes stirring occasionally. The skillet should be at a low simmer. The orzo needs to cook for about 14 minutes in total. Make sure to stir the orzo or it will stick!
After 7 minutes the liquid should have cooked down. Add in the last ½ cup of chicken broth and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Finally add in the last ¼ cup of coconut milk and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the orzo is cooked to your desired consistency.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for later. This stays good for about a week in the refrigerator. You can reheat it in the microwave or skillet. As you store the pasta the sauce thickens, so you may need to add some extra coconut milk when reheating the orzo.
AIP Creamy Italian Sausage Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 Small yellow onion
- 3 Cloves of Garlic
- ¼ lbs Italian sausage
- 1 Small zucchini about 1 ½ cups chopped
- 1 Cup Riced cauliflower
- 1 Cup Sliced mushrooms about 3 medium mushrooms
- ½ Cup Orzo pasta
- 1 ¼ Cup Chicken broth
- ¾ Cup Full fat coconut milk canned works best
- 2 Teaspoons Fresh thyme
- 1 Teaspoon Dried basil
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Salt if the chicken broth is low sodium use 1 teaspoon
- ½ Teaspoon Dried oregano
- ½ Teaspoon Dried sage
Instructions
- In a large skillet add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set to medium heat on the stovetop.
- While the skillet heats, chop your onion into small pieces. Once the onion is chopped into pieces, add it to the skillet and let cook for about 2 minutes.
- Mince your garlic and add to the skillet along with the Italian sausage. If you are using garlic powder, wait and add the garlic with the rest of the herbs.
- Let the sausage cook for about 2-3 minutes with the onions and garlic.
- Chop the zucchini into thin slices and add them to the skillet. You may need to add more oil to the skillet when you add the zucchini. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Chop the mushrooms and when the zucchini has cooked, add the mushrooms and riced cauliflower to the skillet. Add the herbs to the vegetables and let them cook for another 3 minutes stirring occasionally and adding oil as needed so the veggies do not stick to the bottom of the skillet.
- Next add the orzo to the skillet with ¾ cup of the chicken broth and ½ cup of the coconut milk. Let the orzo cook for 7 minutes stirring occasionally. The skillet should be at a low simmer. The orzo needs to cook for about 14 minutes in total.
- After 7 minutes the liquid should have cooked down. Add in the last ½ cup of chicken broth and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
- Finally add in the last ¼ cup of coconut milk and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the orzo is cooked to your desired consistency. For the last 2-3 minutes stir the orzo constantly until it is cooked.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for later. This stays good for about a week in the refrigerator.
