Orecchiette Pasta With Sausage And Broccoli Rabe Recipe

Italian sausage

🥗Healthier: chicken sausage

💰Cheaper: ground turkey

Chicken sausage is lower in fat, while ground turkey is more affordable.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds a cheesy flavor, while grana padano is a less expensive cheese.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 pound of Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks until browned.

Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the sausage if needed.

Slice 1 clove of garlic, using a knife to whack it to remove the skin easily.

Wash the broccoli rabe thoroughly and chop it, using both the leaves and stems, discarding any tough parts.

Boil salted water in a large pot and cook the orecchiette pasta for about 8 minutes until al dente.

Check the sausage; if it’s releasing a lot of oil, consider discarding some, but keep some for flavor.

Add the sliced garlic to the sausage and cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the chopped broccoli rabe to the skillet with the sausage and garlic, mixing well.

Drain the pasta, reserving about ¾ cup of pasta water.

In the skillet, add the reserved pasta water, about ½ stick of butter, and stir to create a sauce.

Season the sauce with black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste, mixing everything together.

Add the drained orecchiette pasta to the skillet and toss to combine with the sauce.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens