Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta
This simple broccoli rabe and sausage pasta is bursting with flavor, and comes together so quickly. The slightly bitter broccoli rabe and spicy Hot Italian pork sausage are balanced with umami rich sun-dried tomatoes and briny kalamata olives. This pasta is a crowd-pleaser and one of our favorite weekday dinner recipes! If you do not eat pork, feel free to substitute it with spicy chicken sausage or leave it out altogether.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 12-16 ounces Hot Italian pork sausage casings removed
- ⅓ cup olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
- ½ cup pitted and drained kalamata olives roughly chopped
- 5-6 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1 large bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 lb) roughly chopped
- 12 ounces orecchiette or other textured short pasta
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as you add it to the hot pan. Brown the sausage until mostly cooked through and evenly caramelized.
- Add the olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the chopped broccoli rabe to the boiling water, blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, or until just wilted. Using a skimmer, fine-meshed sieve, or large slotted spoon, transfer the blanched broccoli rabe to the skillet. Stir mixture together until evenly combined. Do not discard the water, you’ll be using it to cook the pasta! Keep the skillet over medium-low heat to continuing gently sauteeinkeep warm, stirring occasionally, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Bring the pot of blanching water back to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving a cup or so of the pasta cooking water.
- Scoop and drain the pasta, and add it directly to the skillet to finish cooking. Gently toss pasta with the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture, adding reserved pasta water to thin if desired, until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve pasta with grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and a light drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil (if desired).
Tips for Success:
- While I prefer using pork sausage (casings removed) for this pasta dish, feel free to substitute it with Hot Italian chicken or turkey sausage if that is your preference.
- Alternatively, you can make this dish vegetarian by omitting the sausage altogether.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 552kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 29g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 998mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g