Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage
This Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage recipe creates a robust and flavorful Italian pasta dish. Sweet and hot Italian sausages are roasted, then browned and simmered in a rich tomato sauce with garlic and red wine. Orecchiette pasta and crisp-tender broccoli rabe are cooked together, then tossed with the savory sauce and Parmesan cheese for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Equipment
- 1 Sheet Pan For roasting sausages
- 1 Large Heavy Pot or Dutch Oven For sauce and combining ingredients
- 1 Large Stockpot For cooking pasta and broccoli rabe
- 1 Large Colander For draining pasta and broccoli rabe
- 1 Sharp chef's knife and cutting board For prepping garlic, sausage, and broccoli rabe
Ingredients
Main
- 1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausages
- 1/2 pound hot Italian pork sausages
- 1/3 cup good olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 2 14.5-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried orecchiette pasta
- 2 bunches broccoli rabe 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prick the sausages with a fork and place them on a sheet pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through. Slice 1/2 inch thick and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sausage slices and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pieces are browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the red wine, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and let the mixture simmer over low heat while you prepare the pasta and broccoli.
- Bring a very large pot half filled with water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 9 minutes exactly. While the pasta is cooking, trim the broccoli rabe to just below the leaves and discard the stems. Cut the leafy part of the broccoli rabe crosswise in 2-inch pieces. When the pasta has cooked for 9 minutes, add the broccoli rabe to the pasta and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain in a large colander, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and add the pasta and broccoli to the pot with the tomato and sausage mixture. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side.
Notes
1. For the sausages, roasting them first ensures they are cooked through and firm, making them easier to slice cleanly. Browning the sliced pieces afterward adds a crucial layer of flavor and texture, developing a rich fond in the pot that will enhance the sauce.2. San Marzano tomatoes are recommended for their balanced sweetness and low acidity, which contributes significantly to the sauce's depth. Allow the sauce to simmer gently; this slow reduction concentrates flavors beautifully.3. When cooking the orecchiette, ensure the water is generously salted—it's your only chance to season the pasta itself. Adding the broccoli rabe directly to the pasta water for the last few minutes is an efficient method, allowing it to become crisp-tender without overcooking or losing nutrients to separate blanching. Always reserve pasta water; it's a chef's secret for emulsifying sauces and achieving the perfect consistency if the dish seems dry.