Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
This classic dish from Puglia combines sturdy saucer-shaped pasta, hearty greens, and zesty Italian turkey sausage. It’s satisfying without being too rich. It’s been a favorite of my family’s for years. When you make it, you’ll see why.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli rabe
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound (3 to 4 links) Italian turkey sausage, removed from their casing and picked apart into small pieces
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Fine sea salt
- 1 pound dry orecchiette pasta
- Freshly grated Pecorino Romano (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the broccoli rabe. Thoroughly rinse the broccoli and trim off any tough bottom stems. Coarsely chop the tender stalks, leaves, and florets into large pieces and set aside.
- Brown the sausage. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large deep skillet or sauté pan and set over medium heat. Scatter the sausage into the pan and cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes, until nicely browned but still tender.
- Deglaze the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and pour in half of the white wine. Scrape up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until most of the wine is absorbed. Turn off the heat and scrape the sausages into a bowl. Set aside.
- Make a garlicky oil. Set the pan back on medium-low heat and add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing with a wooden spoon to release its flavor.
- Wilt the broccoli. Add the broccoli rabe by the handful—as much as will fit. Cover the pan and let the broccoli wilt for a couple of minutes before adding more. Once you have added all the broccoli, sprinkle in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon fine salt (or 1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt). Cover partially and cook at a gentle simmer, using tongs to toss the broccoli from time to time until the broccoli has lost its bright green color and is completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put a pot of water on to boil. Fill a large pot 2/3 full and set it over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt.
- Finish the sauce: When the broccoli rabe is completely tender, pour in the remaining wine and simmer briefly. Scrape the cooked sausage back into the pan and toss with the broccoli rabe. Cook just until heated through. Turn off the heat and remove the garlic cloves (or leave them in). Cover to keep warm.
- Cook the pasta: Stir the orecchiette into the boiling salted water. Cook until barely al dente—about a minute less than the recommended cooking time on the pasta package. Reserve about 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
- Toss: Transfer the pasta to the pan with the broccoli rabe and sausage and turn the heat to medium-low. Pour in 1/2 cup of the pasta water and cook, using a large serving spoon or a spatula to toss until the pasta is al dente and coated in the sauce. Add more reserved water if necessary to finish cooking the orecchiette.
- Serve. Divide the dressed pasta among individual bowls. Sprinkle a spoonful of Pecorino cheese on top, if you like, and serve.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe
- Use a different pasta. Can’t find orecchiette? Try cavatelli instead! Cavatelli are short, sturdy curls of pasta. Like orecchiette they are from Puglia, and they go just as well with broccoli rabe and sausage. Other shapes that work well in this preparation are cavatappi, penne, and rigatoni.
- Skip the alcohol. Not into cooking with wine? Substitute the same amount of chicken or vegetable broth.
- Try different greens. If you’re not able to find broccoli rabe, or if you’re not a fan of its pungent flavor, substitute the same amount of broccolini, or even standard broccoli. Just cut the stems and florets into big bite-sized pieces and reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes—you want the greens to be tender but not overcooked and mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 435.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 63.2g | Protein: 23.8g | Fat: 8.2g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 40.1mg | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 489.2mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 4.9g | Vitamin A: 2140.6IU | Vitamin C: 38.7mg | Calcium: 118.5mg | Iron: 10mg
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