Lemony Chicken and Artichoke Orzo

Think an elegant one-pot dinner made in just 30 minutes is impossible? Think again. The key is starting with flavor-packed ingredients, which here means pre-cooked chicken sausage and marinated artichoke hearts. Sliced red onion adds color, fresh lemon brings a zip of bright citrus, and cooking the ingredients together with orzo (instead of preparing the pasta separately) means the orzo soaks up even more flavor while leaving fewer dishes to clean.

Marinated artichokes are a two-for-one powerhouse ingredient. Sure, they’re a staple of holiday appetizer spreads and relish trays at grandma’s house, but the usefulness of this retro ingredient doesn’t stop there. Jarred artichoke hearts are quartered into bite-sized pieces and immersed in an herby marinade — requiring no knife work, measuring, or mixing from you! They can dress up a tired work-from-home pasta salad, add interest to veggie sandwiches, and make quick-cooking orzo dinners an elegant weeknight entrée.

As long as you can remember a simple formula, the possibilities for one-pot orzo dinners are endless. Cook one pound dry orzo pasta with four cups of water in a skillet or Dutch oven with your favorite combination of vegetable or protein mix-ins. The rice-shaped orzo pasta cooks quickly, making this the perfect solution for busy weeknights. Stir the pot frequently to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan and to thicken the sauce with the pasta’s starches.

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