Sausage and Broccoli Pasta brings together wonderful flavors and textures to create a colorful and very tasty dish. Sausage removed from its casings, crumbled and browned, juicy, bright green broccoli florets, fun-shaped pasta and melted cheeses make Sausage and Broccoli Pasta a treat. Easy to prepare, this family-favorite recipe makes use of a few easily obtained ingredients to create a satisfying weeknight dinner. Use a cut dried pasta when preparing Sausage and Broccoli Pasta: cavatappi, mezze rigatoni, rotelle (wagon wheels), gemelli or rotini; their fun shapes really add to the textural element of this dish. Start out with an appetizer of Cream Cheese Celery Sticks, then enjoy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta with a medium-bodied, dry red wine like a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or a Pinot Noir.
Prep Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 50 minutes. Serves 2 as a main course.
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Ingredients:
- 1 lb Hot Italian Sausage, about 4 or 5 sausage links
- 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tb minced Garlic
- ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes, more if desired
- ¼ tsp coarse Sea Salt
- 3 cups Broccoli* florets
- 3 oz dried Pasta* per person
- 1 cup shredded melting cheese, such as Fontina, Asiago, Gouda or Edam
- 1 cup combined grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses
Preparation:
- Slit the casings and remove the hot Italian sausage meat from the casings, crumbling the sausage meat into a bowl, discarding the casings.
- Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a wide, deep frying or fricassee pan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the crumbled sausage meat to the hot oil, stir and brown the sausage just enough so that it is not over-cooked and hard.
- While the sausage is browning, mince the garlic and combine with the crushed red pepper flakes and salt in a small bowl. Break the broccoli down into bite-size florets and shred the melting cheese, reserving the broccoli florets and shredded cheese in separate bowls.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the browned sausage from the pan to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and sea salt to the hot oil over a medium heat and sauté uncovered for two minutes.
- Add the broccoli florets to the now-seasoned oil in the pan, stir to mix, cover and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the browned sausage, along with any drippings, back into the pan, stir to mix, cover and cook for five minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the seasoned sausage and broccoli, stir to mix, then stir in the shredded and grated cheeses.
- Serve Sausage and Broccoli Pasta immediately, with additional combined grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses at the table.
*Notes:
- Substitute chopped rapini / broccoli rabe for regular broccoli for a slightly bitter take on Sausage and Broccoli Pasta.
- Fancifully-shaped cut dried pasta is recommended for this dish; cavatappi, mezze rigatoni, rotelle (wagon wheels), gemelli or rotini are all excellent choices.