Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli

5 from 2 votes

This orecchiette with sausage and broccoli is a classic Italian pasta and so easy to make. The perfect weeknight dinner.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Servings: people

Author: Melissa Oleary

Ingredients

1 large head of broccoli cleaned, stalks trimmed and cut into small florets
1 lb Orecchiette pasta you can also use fusilli, ziti or penne
4 Italian sausage links (sweet, mild or hot) You can omit this if you want a meatless meal.
1 small Spanish onion or shallot thin sliced
4 Garlic cloves minced
½ cup finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more depending on how much heat you like. Most of the heat gets cooked out during the cooking process
¼ cup of olive oil divided
½ cup of pasta water reserved
1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper plus more to taste

Instructions

Place a large pot of water on stove to boil for the pasta
Pour ½ of your olive oil into a saute pan over medium heat and add the red pepper flakes
¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Now grab your sausages and with a sharp knife, make a cut through the casings. Remove the casings from the sausages and and add sausage to pan and discard. casings.
4 Italian sausage links (sweet, mild or hot)
Brown your sausage, breaking it up into pieces in the oil until brown and fully cooked.
Once the sausage is cooked through, because you want to get that sausage nice and caramelized, press it down in the pan so all of the sausage is making contact with the hot pan and let it continue to cook for a a few minutes.
Push sausage to one side of the pan an add the onions and saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
1 small Spanish onion or shallot
Add your garlic and cook another 2 minutes
4 Garlic cloves
Once onions are cooked through and translucent, add the broccoli and remaining olive oil to the pan and saute until the broccoli is tender about 8-10 minutes.
1 large head of broccoli
Season with salt and pepper.
1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper
Reduce heat to low
When pasta water comes to a boil salt the water with a good handful of salt (like the saltiness of the ocean) and cook pasta according to directions until al dente
1 lb Orecchiette pasta
When pasta is done reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then strain
½ cup of pasta water reserved
Add pasta to saute pan and mix pasta in with the broccoli until well combined and adding reserved pasta water if it looks to dry.
Plate your pasta and finish with a generous sprinkling of fresh parmesan cheese.
½ cup finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
Enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Values are estimates only.

See full nutrition disclaimer here

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Course :Main Course