Description
A hearty and flavorful Italian pasta dish featuring tender orecchiette, savory ground pork sausage, and slightly bitter broccoli rabe, all brought together with garlic, butter, and Parmesan cheese for a comforting meal ready in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 pound orecchiette
Meat and Seasonings
- 1 pound ground pork Italian sausage (sweet or spicy)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetables
- 1 pound broccoli rabe, washed, dried, and separated/chopped (leaves, stems, and florets)
Dairy
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for topping)
Liquids
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Prepare Broccoli Rabe: Wash and dry the broccoli rabe thoroughly. Separate the leaves from the stalks and florets. Dice each separately and set aside in different piles to ensure even cooking.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the orecchiette pasta and cook over medium heat according to package instructions, typically 9-11 minutes.
- Cook Sausage: While pasta cooks, crumble the ground pork Italian sausage into a large, deep-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Sauté Aromatics: Push the cooked sausage to the edges of the skillet. In the center, add olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir and cook the spices with garlic alone for 1 minute to bloom their flavors, then mix into the sausage evenly. Add the butter and let it melt, combining the flavors as it cooks.
- Cook Broccoli Rabe: About 2 minutes before the pasta finishes cooking, add the broccoli rabe stems and florets to the boiling pasta water. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Then add the leaves and cook everything together for an additional minute to soften the greens.
- Reserve Pasta Water and Drain: Use a glass measuring cup with a pourable spout to scoop out 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and broccoli rabe in a colander once al dente and cooked through.
- Finish Meat Sauce: Return to the skillet with sausage and butter. Stir in the reserved pasta water to emulsify the sauce, blending the butter and meat fats into a cohesive sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta and broccoli rabe to the skillet with the warmed sauce. Stir well to combine all ingredients and turn off the heat.
- Add Cheese and Seasoning: Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the pasta, stirring to incorporate. Taste the dish and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Transfer to a large serving bowl or individual plates. Top with extra Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy your flavorful Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe!
Notes
- Separating the broccoli rabe leaves from the stems ensures even cooking since stems take longer to soften.
- Reserved pasta water is used to create a silky sauce by emulsifying with butter and meat fat.
- You can choose sweet or spicy Italian sausage based on your preference for heat.
- Using freshly grated Parmesan cheese enhances flavor and texture compared to pre-grated varieties.
- If broccoli rabe is unavailable, substitute with other bitter greens like rapini or kale.
