Orecchiette With Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage is a rustic southern Italian pasta with savory Italian sausage, tender broccoli rabe, lots of garlic, white wine and Pecorino Romano cheese. The broccoli rabe and pasta cook in the same pot of water for an easier, streamlined recipe that's big on flavor!
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Large pot for boiling pasta and broccoli rabe
- Dutch oven or large, deep skillet or sauté pan
- Spider or hand strainer
- Cheese grater (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch broccoli rabe (about 1¼ pounds before trimming; see Notes.)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1-1¼ pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage casings removed
- 3-4 Tbsp chopped or thinly-sliced garlic
- ¼–½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- ½ tsp salt or to taste at end
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta See Notes.
- Salt for pasta water
- ⅓-½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese + more for serving about 2 ounces
- Extra virgin olive oil for finishing
- 1-2 Tbsp butter optional, for finishing
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Please see the section above in the blog post forS tep-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Prepare broccoli rabe. Trim and discard only the very ends of the broccoli rabe stems (about ¼–½ inch). Cut the thicker stems into approximately ½-inch pieces and set them aside. Cut the remaining stems, florets and leaves into bite-sized pieces, keeping them separate from the smaller stem pieces.1 large bunch broccoli rabe
- Brown sausage. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks with a wooden spoon. (Don’t completely break up the sausage; leave some larger pieces for character and texture. See photos above.)2 Tbsp olive oil, 1-1¼ pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage
- Cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
- Cook garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the pan to come down in temperature a bit (so that the garlic does not burn).
- Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook gently, stirring frequently, until the garlic is lightly golden and fragrant, approximately 1–2 minutes. Do not let it burn.3-4 Tbsp chopped or thinly-sliced garlic, ¼–½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Deglaze with white wine. Pour in the white wine and increase the heat to medium. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and simmer until the wine has reduced substantially to about ¼ cup and the alcohol taste has cooked off. Do not let the skillet cook completely dry.1 cup dry white wine
- Then, turn the heat down to warm or off until the rapini has been blanched.
- Next, blanch broccoli rabe. Once pot of water comes to a boil, add about 1½-2 Tbsp salt followed by the small stem pieces and cook for 1 minute. Then, immediately add the remaining broccoli rabe pieces and continue cooking for 2 minutes more, or until the stems are tender and the greens are just cooked. (It will cook a bit more in the skillet, fyi.)NOTE: Use tongs to remove a stem and check its tenderness, since cooking time will vary with thickness and maturity.
- While the broccoli rabe is cooking, return the skillet to medium heat.
- Transfer broccoli rabe. Using a spider or small colander, drain the rapini well and transfer it directly to the skillet. Do not discard the boiling water; you'll use it to cook the pasta.
- Finish sauce. Toss the drained broccoli rabe in the garlicky oil and reduced wine for about 1 minute, as the residual liquid from the broccoli rabe evaporates and the rapini cooks a bit more.
- Then, return the sausage and any accumulated juices to the skillet, along with the salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and heat through, then turn off the heat or keep very low until the pasta is ready.½ tsp salt or to taste , ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Cook pasta. Return the reserved broccoli rabe cooking water to a boil, if necessary. Add the orecchiette and cook for 2 minutes less than the package directions, or about 2 minutes before you think it is al dente. Be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.1 pound orecchiette pasta, Salt for pasta water
- Turn the sausage rapini sauce back on to medium-low after the pasta has been cooking for about 5 minutes.
- Combine pasta and sauce. Transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss well, allowing the pasta to finish cooking in the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Add pasta water for additional moisture as needed, about ½ cup at a time.
- Finish with cheese. Once the pasta is al dente, turn off heat. Then stir in the pecorino cheese and drizzle with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. NOTE: If you’d like more of a silky, restaurant-style finish, add a couple pats softened, room temperature butter and mix in.⅓-½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese + more for serving, 1-2 Tbsp butter
- Serve. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with a bit more grated cheese and serve immediately. Buon Appetito!
Notes
Broccoli Rabe:
- Bunches of rapini generally run between ¾ pound and 1¼ pound before trimming. You’ll need about 1¼ pounds (before trimming) for this recipe, but you can use 2 small bunches or 1 large bunch.
- Don't discard the thick stems! Cut them into small pieces and blanch them briefly before adding the leaves and florets.
- Always test a stem for tenderness before removing the broccoli rabe from the water.
- Greens tend to contain a fair amount of dirt, so always be sure to rinse them thoroughly in multiple bowls of water until clean.
