Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage (Classic Italian Cooking) | Kenji's Cooking Show

Italian sausage

🥗Healthier: chicken sausage

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Chicken sausage is lower in fat, while ground beef is often less expensive.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free option, while pecorino offers a similar flavor at a lower cost.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes, aiming for al dente.

In a wide straight-sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Add 8 ounces of Italian sausage to the skillet, breaking it up into pieces with a pastry cutter while it cooks.

Once the sausage is mostly cooked through and starting to brown, slice 4 garlic cloves and add them to the skillet along with red pepper flakes to taste.

Sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add broccolini to the skillet and sauté until bright green and tender.

Ladle in 2 scoops of reserved pasta water to the skillet with the sausage and broccolini.

When the pasta is just shy of al dente, add it directly to the skillet without draining, allowing some pasta water to come with it.

Increase the heat to high to emulsify the sauce, stirring until the sauce is creamy and the pasta finishes cooking.

Add more salt and a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, stirring to combine.

For those who can't have dairy, set aside a portion before adding cheese.

Stir in grated parmesan cheese for those who can have it, mixing until well combined.

Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens