Ingredients

3T olive oil
1 onion diced
1.5 t Kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
2 medium zucchini halved and 1 inch diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
2T balsamic vinegar
1T tomato paste
1.25 cups orzo
Kernels from 2 ears of corn
4oz cream cheese medium diced
0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg Zatarains Andouille sausage, sliced

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive in large skillet with top set over medium. Cook and stir occasionally for 8 minutes. Turn to medium low and add zucchini and Garlic. Cook 2 minutes stirring often.

Step 2

Add tomatoes, 1t salt and pepper to taste. Cook , stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have completely collapsed, 12 to 15 minutes. Add Balsamic vinegar and tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes.

Step 3

Add 2.5 cups water and bring to simmer over medium heat. Add the orzo, corn, and ½ t salt, mix well and turn heat to low. Cover and Simmer 10-12 minutes, scraping the bottom 3 to 4 times until the pasta is cooked. The pasta should look “saucy” as it cooks; if at any time it looks dry, add ¼ cup of water. Add the sliced Andouille sausage the same time as the orzo. I just added the meat to make the dish more hearty. Also I added about ½ cup of water during the 10-12 minutes.

Step 4

Off the heat, add the cream cheese and Parmesan and stir gently to combine.

I doubled the recipe for the LADS gathering and used the biggest skillet I had. Enjoy!

Kate Pfeifer