Pasta With Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
A 30-minute pasta dish that tastes satisfying and fresh, with just the right sharpness from the broccoli rabe, saltiness from crumbled Italian sausage, and topped with good grated cheese.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli rabe, rinsed and bottoms trimmed off
- 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, removed from casings and broken into pieces. Pork, chicken, or turkey sausage is fine.
- 12 ounces medium-sized pasta, such as rigatoni, fusilli, or orecchiette
- 1/4 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
- Pecorino-Romano or parmesan cheese
- Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The water should taste like sea water.
- Gently lower the broccoli rabe into the boiling water and let simmer, uncovered, for about 30 seconds to one minute, until it is very wilted. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the rabe and drain it in a large colander. Reserve the pot of water.PRO TIP: Blanching the rapini in salted water removes the excessive bitter flavor. Using the same water to cook the pasta adds a little extra oomph of flavor, and saves a lot of trouble (and water).
- When the broccoli rabe is drained well, give it a rough chop on a clean cutting board and set aside.
- Bring the blanching water back to a boil and add the pasta. Give it a stir once or twice and cook until very al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving about one cup of pasta water (you will need less than this).
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until the oil shimmers but is not smoking. Lower the heat to medium, and add the sausage pieces. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and half-cooked. Use a wooden spoon or similar tool to break apart any large pieces of sausage.Add the garlic and chopped broccoli rabe and stir. Continue to cook until the sausage is cooked through. You can add a little pasta water if the pan looks dry or if the garlic is over-browning. PRO TIP: Garlic should never get past a toast color or it will taste acrid.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet, along with a little more pasta water to make things nice and saucy. Cook, stirring, until everything is combined and cohesive, about five minutes.
- Spoon into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, and top generously with Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
