Description
A classic Italian pasta dish that comes together in 30 minutes! Tasty Italian sausage, vibrant broccoli, and perfectly cooked orecchiette pasta come together to create a mouthwatering pasta meal even picky eaters will love!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 pound (about 450g) orecchiette pasta
- 1 pound (about 450g) sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 bunch broccoli, broccolini, broccoli rabe, washed and trimmed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
- Reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Prepare Broccoli: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, until slightly tender. Chop the blanched broccoli into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Cook Sausage: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook until browned and cooked through about 6 minutes.
- Add Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes: Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant, scraping the bottom of the pan to get the favor from the brown bits.
- Combine Ingredients: add broccoli to the skillet with the sausage mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Cook Orecchiette: Cook the orecchiette pasta in the same pot of boiling water according to package instructions until al dente—reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked orecchiette and pasta water to the skillet, tossing to combine, add the cheese and toss to coat the pasta in the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture.
- Serve: Serve hot, garnished with extra freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Savory
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian