A class Italian dish, Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe is the perfect comfort food that will become a staple in your home.
This dish combines slightly bitter broccoli rabe with ground pork sausage, red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, and plenty of Parmigiano-Reggiano to bring you a taste of your favorite nonna’s kitchen.
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need for this simple yet flavorful dish:
Orecchiette pasta: The perfect ear-shaped pasta for this meal, orecchiette is ideal to use when you want your pasta to scoop up all the flavor in a dish.
Ground sausage: I’m using ground sausage here, but you can also buy Italian sausage links and simply remove the casing.
Broccoli rabe: Ideal for its slightly bitter, peppery flavor.
Red pepper flakes: For spice.
Garlic: Because it’s garlic.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: Because it goes with everything.
How to Make Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
This meal comes together fast, making it perfect for quick weeknight dinners.
Step 1: Prep your ingredients.
Get everything you’ll need out. Cut the stubby ends off the broccoli rabe and toss them. You can also chop your garlic at this time, and remove the casing from your sausage if you’re using links.
Set the water to boil to get ready to blanche the broccoli rabe.
Step 2: Blanche the broccoli rabe.
Salt the boiling water and add the broccoli rabe in. Blanche for 2 minutes, and then remove with a slotted spoon to a colander to drain. Keep the water boiling and add the orecchiette. Pat with broccoli rabe with paper towels and then chop the broccoli rabe into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the sausage.
Add a bit of extra virgin olive oil to a pan along with the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for one minute. Add the sausage, break up with your wooden spoon, and cook until almost done, making sure to get nice color on the sausage. Add the broccoli rabe and the cooked orecchiette into the pot along with one cup of the starchy water that the pasta was cooking in.
Bring the heat up a bit and let cook for 1-2 minutes together. Grate plenty of Parmigiano-Reggiano and add a tablespoon of butter, mix, and enjoy.
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork sausage
- 8 oz orecchiette pasta, uncooked
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe cleaned and stubby ends cut off
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tbs butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil and blanche the broccoli rabe for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander, run under cold water and let drain. Pat with a paper towel and then cut the broccoli rabe into bite-sized pieces and set aside. In the same water, add the orecchiette and begin cooking it per the instructions on the package.
- While the pasta is cooking, add ~2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a skillet with high sides. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook one minute, then add the sausage. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Break up with the wooden spoon, and brown and cook until done.
- Add the broccoli rabe and stir. Once the pasta is done, use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to the same pot with the sausage and broccoli rabe, along with 1 cup of water that the pasta was cooking in.
- Bring the heat up a bit and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add the butter and a good grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir and serve.
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