Start by washing your banana peppers under cool running water. Carefully slice the tops off and remove the seeds, keeping the peppers intact for stuffing. Dice the removed tops along with the green bell pepper and set aside.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, crumble and brown the Italian sausage until fully cooked, approximately 5–7 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.

In the same pot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Add the diced onion, banana pepper tops, green bell pepper, and minced garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are fragrant.

Return the browned sausage to the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth and evaporated milk, stirring well to combine. Increase the heat to bring to a gentle boil, about 3–5 minutes.

Once boiling, stir in the Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and your choice of dried herbs. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 25 minutes.

After simmering, add the orzo pasta to the pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Remove the pot from heat and ladle the soup into bowls, garnishing with reserved slices of banana pepper. Serve with crusty Italian bread.