Orecchiette With Sausage And Broccoli

4.82 from 11 votes

Orecchiette With Sausage And Broccoli

This super delicious Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is an Italian classic that is hearty, flavorful, and filling! It’s tasty Italian sausage, fresh broccoli, lots of garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes all sautéed together and then tossed with perfectly cooked “little ears” pasta. This is a quick and easy 30-minute recipe that is sure to become a family favorite!

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: orecchiette with sausage and broccoli, pasta with sausage and broccoli

Servings:

Calories: 599kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli florets
12 ounces orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound Italian sausage casings removed
3 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a large large bowl.
In the same pot with broccoli water add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta and set aside.
Add the butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the sausage and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through, breaking it up as you go along. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
Add the cooked broccoli florets, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add about ½ cup of the pasta water and the cooked pasta.
Toss everything together and cook for a couple more minutes. Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and another drizzle of some good extra virgin olive oil and toss well.
Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Salt your broccoli water. Salt the broccoli cooking water well. This helps to infuse both the broccoli and orecchiette pasta with flavor as they cook.
Don’t drain the sausage. Leave the excess fat in the pan after you cook the Italian sausage. It’s used to saute the broccoli and season the whole dish.
Save some of the water. The reserved pasta water is needed for the dish and can also be used for reheating the leftovers and keeping the dish flavorful.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just sprinkle it with a bit of water or chicken broth and then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power. You can also reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat. However, leftover pasta does not tend to freeze well.

Nutrition